Weed Wall Hiding Cedar Creek

If you want to see the creek in Cedar Park, the window is fast closing.   The weed wall, as encouraged by the Wildlands Conservancy, is already 5 ft. tall.  Although only the beginning of June,  with two small exceptions,  the creek is only visible from the bridge crossings.

One of the exceptions is a creek side bench by the park office, at 30th and Parkway Blvd.  Although I did lobby the park department to install a second bench at that spot, so far there has been no response.
The other exception is about six feet of open bank by the small wood bridge, just west of the Rose Garden.

Although I still yearn for the traditional park system designed for Allentown by Harry Trexler's landscape architect,  those days seem to be over.  Years ago, when the Wildlands Conservancy prevailed upon a former park director to stop mowing by the creeks,  the little work reduction corresponded with less park employees. Worse yet for park beauty, it also coincided with more park budget going for recreation.  So while we now cannot see or enjoy the creeks, we have a prison style outside workout station in Jordan Park, and a new skate park coming on board.

Although I recognize these new realities, I will give the park department or city hall administration no relief from my advocating for the traditional park values, which graced the picture postcards of Allentown's past. 

above reprinted from June of 2019

ADDENDUM JULY 26, 2024:In previous years the traditional park format got a break in early spring. The weed wall was temporarily cut down to prevent the invasive species from taking firm root, such as Poison Hemlock. I would complain that in the process the ducklings were turned into paste. Well, the ducklings fared better this year, there has been no cutting. The solution for both the ducklings and park goers is to mow the grass to the creek's edge, as planned by General Trexler's landscape architect. The ducks will find safe places to build nests.

Picnic Pavilion Blues

For the last decade the picnic pavilions below Cedar Crest College have been in a state of benign neglect. The park department stubbornly wants to replace these older pavilions with their lightning-friendly metal expensive replacements. 

Common sense would say why not just reshingle the older ones, and give them a fresh coat of paint. They have served the city well for eighty years, and still are eager to serve. However, the metal replacements have been put into the schedule years ago, and the bureaucratic way is to let the older ones decay until they're replaced with the scheduled new ones. 

Somehow I suspect that the replacements, when they finally do appear, will not last a fraction as long.

Students of the blog know that years ago I was very critical of Pawlowski and his succession of park directors, which were all of the same mold (Penn State recreation program) and hired by the same city manager. Had the FBI's menu been longer, they might have looked into some of those decisions and contracts.

I actually have a rapport with the current park director, and have not yet totally burned all the bridges with the new mayor. However, it is my avocation to champion for the traditional park system and the WPA. To that end, I will not compromise the mission with polite cordiality here on the blog.

above reprinted from June of 2022

ADDENDUM APRIL 19, 2023: Since the above post was written less than a year ago, there's yet another new park director, but I'm hoping to maintain a channel to that office.  However, as always, my mission remains the parks, not polite cordiality.

While I'm still advocating that the current picnic pavilions be saved, another important park feature has just been discarded.  Before the expensive (10k each) PlayWorld novelty exercise  kiosks were installed, the park had old school exercise stations. A classmate of mine from the mid 1960's would finish his daily walk with pull-ups.  While these time proven exercise stations were in good condition, this park system apparently still prefers gimmicks from catalogs.

Last, but not least, this year's duckling forecast...  You may have noticed very few ducks on the Rose Garden side of the park, but there are a few pairs. Unfortunately, their propagation chances again look slim. The park department did not mow the creek bank on the first cutting, and the poison hemlock is already thriving. If they cut down it before the ducks hatch, as they have for the last four years, once again no ducklings will survive to swim the ponds. The window for the bank cutting has closed, and they must now wait until after the ducklings are hatched and on their own.

ADDENDUM JULY 25, 2024:Another year has passed with benign neglect for the pavilions. On a similar note, vines completely cover the brick front on the barn by the park office, eating heartily into the mortar. Vines are also being allowed to grow on the office itself, which was a farmhouse back long before any of our days. I remain ignored by the mayor, the new park director, and the Parknership seems to be following their lead.

Inclusivity Can Be All Wet

Prior to the current administration, the parking lot along Cedar Creek behind the swimming pool was closed off when flooding was anticipated.  The new administration felt that gates sent a  message of unwelcomeness, and they were ordered removed from various locations throughout the park system.  These gates had been installed over the years to prevent damage from flooding, or to allow for proper snow removal during winter storms. 

When I first learned of their removal last year, I was offended by the waste of infrastructure.  Now I realize that it is actually a public safety issue.

This blog in the past has been critical of the Tuerk Administration's wokeness and obsession with being inclusive.  While I have become less critical about the mayor's agenda,  I will not hesitate to speak out when appropriate. 

The flooded car shown above belonged to a couple who decided to take a long stroll in the rain. Unfortunately the creek rose faster than their return walk, but at least they didn't feel unwelcome.

reprinted from July of 2023 

ADDENDUM JULY 24, 2024:Allentown's parks are being trashed from both in and out of towners. As the city struggles with solutions to this deluge, one suggestion was to erect gates at the parks which could be closed off. Not mentioned in the debate, or the subsequent articles about it in the Morning Call, was that there were gates which were removed. We learn now that new gates will cost $five thousand each. I have been advocating for the parks for the last fifty years, and reporting on such since this blog's creation in 2007.

Carry In/Carry Out Doesn't Work For Allentown

The current national park philosophy, adopted by Allentown, is Carry In/Carry Out.  In our environmentally woke time, the belief is that people will take their trash with them, after they guzzled their sports drink.  Allentown accordingly removed most of the trash containers from the parks, instead installing larger capacity containers, which only have to be emptied once a week.  While previously one man and a pickup truck removed the bags, now a dump truck, two men and crane are used to extract the 8ft. long bags from a pit below the containers. 

It all sounds wonderful, until you drive through downtown Allentown any Monday morning...It looks like there was a parade every weekend.  The litter in Allentown is astounding...Many throw their trash down even if there is a container within several feet.  Parents throw down their trash in front of their children.

Rather than less trash containers in our parks, we should have installed more.  There is nothing Allentown  can learn from national park bureaucrats.  Our traditional park system was second to none.

above reprinted from August of 2021

ADDENDUM JUNE 7, 2022: Early on Monday mornings, a park employee fills large containers gathering all the trash tossed down on both sides of Cedar Park over the weekend.  Although the department did add some containers back since the above post was written last year, littering is a reality in the new Allentown. As the department adds new events and recreational features to our parks, this problem will only increase.

ADDENDUM JULY 26, 2023: Mayor Tuerk, in keeping with both your inclusionary and bi-lingual policies, please don't be bashful about Do Not Litter signs in both English and Spanish, No Bote Basura.

ADDENDUM JULY 23, 2024:Mandy Tolino, the park director, is beginning to see the light, or should I say the litter. She announced that the parks will have more trash containers and that seasonal No Litter signs would be installed in both English and Spanish. Add even a few more containers for good measure, and leave those signs up all year.

Molovinsky July Weigh-In

It appears that many of our elected officials were more concerned with their re-election calculations than acuity in the Oval Office. While the debate may have spilled the beans publicly about Biden, we must assume that many in Congress knew about his condition before we did, but decided that he was the ticket to ride anyway. Now with Biden's withdrawal, they will become Bravehearts.

Our elected are congratulating themselves because Rt. 611 is supposed to finally open in a couple weeks. Its prolonged closure was an assault on the residents, businesses and taxpayers victimized by the inefficiency of every agency and official involved.

 

Visitors to the airport see a larger than life portrait of Hasshan Batts and might wonder what the promise is? Shootings in Allentown have become so commonplace that they are now back-page news. It's time for Mayor Tuerk to concentrate on DUI and public safety, instead of DEI and the next election. The time to save quality of life is running out.

As I lobbied to be on the Parknership board of directors, I have been restrained in my posts about the parks...that's over! The parks, which were an oasis for generations, are being degraded. I doubt that there is anyone involved with forming the new non-profit that knows more about the parks than I do. Every current problem within the last several years I had predicted. Whether they include me or continue to ignore me, this blog will again start addressing the problems and possible solutions for our iconic park system.

Affordable For Whom?

Allentown's new affordable housing project, announced with fanfare by State Representative Nick Miller, will be given over $16 Million of taxpayer dollars for 38 units. For what the taxpayers our spending, almost $421,000 a unit, we could buy each prospective tenant an ocean condo.  Depending on who ends up living there, buying them an ocean condo in another state might improve the quality of life for those of us remaining here. 

As you can tell, I don't think much of affordable housing. It is a solution to a problem which really doesn't exist. In the first place, if Allentown wasn't comparatively affordable, there would not be so many lower income people here.  In the second place, if they are here and not seeking gainful employment, it would be better for Allentown if they collected their government check somewhere else. Between the Housing Authority, Section 8 vouchers and assorted landlords, the affordable obligation is met. Thirty eight more units, especially with most being one bedroom, won't put a dent in the heart of the bleeding liberals.

Those readers who think that this post lacks compassion might exercise their outrage by picking up litter in center city.

Lesson At Dieruff

A Dieruff High School social studies teacher would not have to take his class very far for a lesson in Allentown's history. Although never elected, East Side activist Dennis Pearson has been complaining for thirty years that the East Side always get short changed in Public Works. Such was the case in the mid 1930's, during the WPA work in Allentown. Roosevelt's New Deal program built the elaborate walls in the south side's Lehigh Parkway. Central Allentown received the magnificent Lawrence Street stairwell. The culturally elite of west Allentown received the Union Terrace Amphitheater, envisioned for Shakespeare. Pearson's east side got a few scattered steps to nowhere. The steps remained, and thirty years later Allentown built Dieruff High School. With expansions and renovations, some of the steps now adjoin the school. Flash ahead to the summers of 2009 and 2010.




I lobbied Allentown City Council members to appropriate some of the $millions of dollars in Cedar Park plans to begin preserving the irreplaceable WPA structures, starting to crumble throughout our park system. East Side elected councilman, Michael D'Amore, assured me that he only signed off on the Administrations plan, with the stipulation that the steps in Irving Park-Dieruff area would be restored at the same time. The work in Cedar Park was completed last year, including $millions of dollars with of recreation equipment from catalogs. The deterioration of the steps around Dieruff continues. Now there's a lesson in government!
photos courtesy of Mark Thomas 

above reprinted from September of 2011

ADDENDUM JULY 18, 2024:The new Allentown Parknership claims that they will be involved with the WPA structures, among other facets of our park system. For that reason I have applied to be on their board of directors. I know that they will have no other applicants who have been advocating for the WPA for over fifteen years. I will continue the east side step saga in tomorrow's post.

Why I'm Not Voting For Trump

I left Monday's post up for Tuesday, with an added addendum. One comment echoed Trump's reply at the debate, that he would honor the 2024 election result if it was fair.  I cut bait with Trump on Jan.6th, 2021 and  cannot vote for him this cycle because of that debate answer. If this election isn't fair, the Republicans share the blame. If they're not organized enough to have enough pole watchers, that's their bad. I know that they have not caught up with the mail ballot game, which alone may again lose them the election.

There are legal recourses after vote counting. After they are exhausted, it is incumbent upon the candidate to concede the election, especially on the national level. An orderly transition of power is essential for democracy. 

Although I cannot reconsider Trump for 2024 after his debate answer, fortunately for the country's tranquility, Trump is far enough ahead that he probably won't have to again resort to encouraging that the election results not be certified. I realize that this post will annoy many of my readers, who trend Republican. I'm personally an independent conservative, who usually votes Republican. 

I've tried to produce an honest daily blog for the last seventeen years, and ran for office twice myself as an independent. This blog is not monetized, so I don't dance for readership numbers. I don't dance for comments. I'll invest my vote this election with Kennedy, to help fortify the third party concept.

Left Blames Trump For Being Shot

Some derivative of you reap what you sow is turning up on my liberal facebook friends' pages. It took just an  hour or two for them to start blaming MAGA and Trumpism. They're complaining that the right isn't demanding gun control.  They're complaining that the border issues are racist, and they want their guns to keep the brown people out.

Steve Scalise, who was shot in a 2017 congressional baseball game, said on the news shows Sunday that we must dial down the rhetoric, especially the demonization of Trump. I credit Biden for his remarks Saturday evening along the same lines.

An article in the current Time Magazine states that the country isn't as polarized as the media projects. With newspapers being yesterday's news, magazines either have to be last month's news or get controversial with their titles. From my observation we are indeed more polarized than ever. If this tragic shooting tones things down, remains to be seen....My hunch is that it will actually deepen the divide.

photocredit:Gene J. Puskar/AP

ADDENDUM JULY 16, 2024: J.D. Vance choosen as VP.. Biden gives interview with NBC's Lester Holt. Failure or worse by the Secret Service.

The Press As Props

It was upfront that Biden had pre-chosen which reporters were allowed to ask questions during Thursday's Big Boy presser. With that pre-selection he could surmise what the questions would entail. The reporter with the hijab would likely inquire about the situation in Gaza. If Biden called on eleven selected questioners, what were the other 295 reporters beyond production props? Anyway...

Although cherry picking the chosen reporters helps to predict the questions, did the Biden camp go farther, and suggest questions to the few lucky among the many? Anyway...

I think my question and its answer will become news this weekend. If I was a reporter and had to stand in line in a hallway for 30 minutes just to be a prop, I would be agitated. I'm agitated writing this from the comfort of my kitchen table. Anyway...

ADDENDUM FRIDAY 10:00AM: So far I can find no speculation, beyond my own, that Biden knew what questions the chosen reporters would ask. However, the questions are being described as softball.

Shapiro Disqualifying Himself From National Office

Pennsylvania's Josh Shapiro was a rising star in the world of Democratic politics for ten minutes. On Wednesday afternoon he started to disqualify himself, and he didn't even know it.

Shapiro's problem goes back to a seemingly good appointment, Pat Browne to Director of Revenue. Browne, as a former state senator, was the architect of the Neighborhood Improvement District (NIZ), which seemingly revitalized Allentown, the state's third largest city. This transformation was seemingly chronicled by the Morning Call, one of the few remaining newspapers in the state. If I seem to be using seemingly repeatedly, it is because not everything, especially in politics and newspapers, is as it appears.

Allentown's former glory days main shopping street was transformed from a declined mercantile district into a new urban office park. The back story as it was unfolding, which isn't so pretty, was limited to this blog. The former merchants were given the heave-ho with threats of eminent domain. Almost all the parcels and new buildings ended up being owned by one man, who happens to be the childhood friend of Pat Browne. Almost all the new businesses which located into this new urban office park were poached by this chosen developer, at the expense of the surrounding suburban office parks. All the previous state taxes going to Harrisburg now went to this developer's debt service. A billion dollar empire of new, privately owned office and apartments, all owned by one man, being paid for by state taxes. New building by new building was promoted by the newspaper, article after article. Browne had cleverly included the newspaper building in the NIZ zone, and even that was gobbled up by the developer. New governor Shapiro reading those newspaper promotions noticed Browne's talent, and appointed him to be his revenue director. 

Because almost all the NIZ tax revenue information actually pertains to only one man, Browne on the way out the senate door, amended that information to be confidential. Browne certainly succeeded in creating a strong lockbox for his scheme. Shapiro's office issued this statement after Jarrett Coleman issued the subpoena...the Department of Revenue must continue to follow the law and has respectfully declined to provide this confidential information,”  

It is my hope that Shapiro is naive, not complicit. Time will tell.

ADDENDUM: Time ended up telling pretty quickly. I've been informed that the developer made a very large contribution to candidate Shapiro when he was running. It appears that the naive one was me, when I wrote the above post. Perhaps I'm also being naive about Shapiro disqualifying himself from national office because of such questionable contributions, maybe in today's reality he's learning the big boy ropes.

Jarrett Coleman Wins Subpoena For Taxpayers

Under Coleman's leadership, and against prepared opposition,  a senate committee yesterday voted to issue a subpoena to Pat Browne requesting information pertaining to Allentown's NIZ.  The NIZ has diverted over $half a $billion in state tax revenue for the private real estate empire of a couple local developers

.“The department’s arguments about taxpayer confidentiality are a smokescreen, because no data about individual taxpayers has been requested and confidentiality will be maintained” Coleman said. “The secretary is going to extraordinary lengths to hide this information from legislators and the people we represent. When this much effort is put into preventing people from seeing what’s going on, it casts a cloud of suspicion over the program and the people responsible for properly using the half-billion dollars in tax money. Ultimately, the information included in the subpoena is necessary to determine whether the program is a success or an expensive boondoggle.”

Before the committee voted to issue the subpoena,  state senator Christine Tartaglione spoke forcefully against it.  While she claimed that the full body rejected such an effort previously, it was actually not passed because of a tie vote. Also lobbying against it was senator Jay Costa, who complained about violating the tax confidentiality of the NIZ beneficiaries. Coleman assured his colleagues that the information would be keep confidential by the appointed auditors. Tartaglione noted that she has been in the senate for thirty years. I assume that both she and Costa know Browne quite well, and that he appreciated their effort to restrain Coleman's attempt to gain proper disclosure about a questionable legislation cloaked in secrecy.

Although the subpoena asks the information within a certain time period, there may well be quite a struggle between asking and receiving the information. Taxpayers should be grateful to Coleman for his tenacity in regard to this matter.

Jarrett Coleman, A Maverick In Harrisburg

When Jarrett Coleman challenged entrenched state senator Pat Browne two years ago, he never imagined that after defeating Browne two years later he would still be sparring with him. When Jarrett ran he pledged to look into exactly what the NIZ has done for the taxpayers. Although it has been beneficial beyond their dreams for a couple local developers, the benefit to the taxpayers isn't apparent.

The NIZ was the brainchild of Browne, and on the way out of the senate he added an amendment which shields the financial details from scrutiny. Supposedly, revealing that information would infringe on the tax confidentiality of the few fat cats benefiting. As if that roadblock wasn't enough in Coleman's way, after Browne left the state senate, Governor Shapiro appointed him Director of Revenue. So now Jarret must request the info from the very man who schemed to keep it private.

Coleman has appealed directly to Josh Shapiro to order release of the information. Recently Shapiro has been touted as potential presidential material. This would certainly be an opportunity for the governor, who previously was the attorney general, to show that he can rise above usual politics for the taxpayer's benefit.

Jarrett, putting our interests first, is also preparing a lawsuit seeking the information.

Shown above is the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which covered this important development.

Sticking A Fork In Biden

Although I'm reluctant to keep posting the Biden saga everyday, everyday a new twist has unfolded. Yesterday Biden sent a limp letter to the Democratic Congress. In it he cites that he was the voter's choice in the primary, and that he alone can defend democracy from Donald Trump. He didn't address the real elephant in the room, his cognitive condition. His omission of this concern will not make the anxiety of his continued campaign go away, on the contrary. The Democrats in Congress already knew all the election talking points. The letter, if anything, confirmed their suspicions that Biden is out of touch. 

A comment on Friday's blog post took Susan Wild to task for hosting Jill Biden last week, and then questioning her husband's capacity over the weekend. Wild was correct in being cordial to Mrs. Biden and not mentioning the controversy on Jill's visit to Allentown.

Also in a comment yesterday, I mentioned that Biden's condition will move no votes to Trump's column, regardless of who ends up as the Democratic candidate. The only candidate who may gain some votes from the Democratic malaise is Bobby Kennedy Jr.. I wouldn't assume that all people looking at Kennedy are from the D column. Given the alternatives, he is appealing more and more to Democrats, Republicans and independents.

Biden and Flying Saucers

Biden's interview with Stephanopoulos didn't bring the anticipated closure to the Biden dilemma. It didn't confirm his spaceyness or put those fears to rest. Appropriately enough, this weekend was also the spaceship convention is Roswell New Mexico. I saw some of the participants, and can tell you they could care less about Biden's fitness for office.

Back here on earth one of my concerns was Stephanopoulos's intentions as the interviewer. My hair is gray enough to remember him dodging for the Clintons. He seemed to firmly ask relevant questions. Of course Biden should have been able to articulate if he's staying in the race, not too many facts and figures needed for that answer. 

If I were a Yellow Dog Democrat I would find the situation distressing. Biden assured nobody that he is up to the task, but was coherent enough to defend against his being replaced. Then again, nobody is actually voting for Joe Biden, they are voting against Donald Trump.

Biden Circling The Wagons

As the governors left the White House Wednesday evening, the best they could say was that Biden was staying in the race, and that they support him. They referred to the battle against the threat of Donald Trump and the path to victory. None of these liars by omission would say that Biden appeared fine, but rather that he was staying in.

By not hearing any words like fit, vigor, fine, alert and so forth, I conclude that they're not  even sure that Biden will remember the meeting with them. 

Pa. senator Casey spent Wednesday in Northampton county, urging Democrat officials to circle the wagons. While he spoke about protecting us against corporate greed, I wonder who will protect us against elected deception.  While I'm not a Republican, and hate carrying water for any political party, these omissions about Biden's condition reflect on the credibility of all the silent elected Democratic officials, down to small town mayors.

Early Morning In Allentown

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. 

above reprinted from October of 2011 

ADDENDUM JULY 1, 2024:While the monument remains at 7th & Hamilton, the intersection is being reconfigured to be more pedestrian friendly. The majority of the buildings have been replaced through the NIZ Scheme, transforming Hamilton Street from a merchantile district into an urban office park. So far the only missing ingredient is people, despite over 1,500 new apartments.

Demented And Deranged.

Forgive the hyperbole, I don't really know if Biden is demented, or if Trump is deranged. I do think that Biden is suffering from cognitive decline, and that Trump's approach is too simplistic for today's world.

I believe that if Biden simply had a bad night last Thursday, he would have by now held a press conference, taking real questions from real reporters, whoever that may be.* 

Trump's statements about Ukraine, Gaza and NATO give me no confidence that he is prepared for another presidency. If his behavior January 6th, (2021) is deemed criminal or not, it doesn't meet my definition of presidential. 

* Real questions from real reporters isn't something I still take for granted. Chris Cuomo on NewsNation gave Biden a pass Monday night, by a long winded soliloquy that both candidates are flawed, but that's the hand we voters are getting this November. I believe that Biden will be interviewed, but if the questions are extremely softball and rehearsed, the sham only increases.

Weekend At Biden's

In fairness to the Bidens and the DNC, it has only been a few days since Joe's blank stares. The next day they paraded him out with a short jog for a telepromter speech, which he read with some vigor. The Yellow Dog Democrats ate up those Biden treats. 

But who is to blame for masking his condition for so long? Is it Jill Biden or the Democratic Party? Then again, who is the Party? After all, Lara Trump is now the RNC. If the CNN debate hadn't occurred, would his mental acuity even be an issue?

Those who visit the White House on a regular basis, like Chuck Schumer and members of the cabinet, must have been aware of the President's decline. Biden's family is supposedly mad at his advisors, presumedly for allowing the debate.

The debate turned out to be a revelation, which apparently nobody associated with Biden thought the public needed to know. 

If Biden steps away from the campaign, Gavin Newsom appears to be the most viable candidate to take his place, assuming that they can gracefully push Kamala aside. At best, the attempt to foist a declining president on the public is a blemish on the Democratic party.

You must be at least thirty-five years of age to run for President, perhaps there should also be an exit age.

Denial, A River In Egypt

As an independent, I wasn't happy about the upcoming presidential election before this past Thursday's debate, but things have only gotten worse. Trump demonstrated that he hasn't at all matured in his world view, and Biden is obviously too impacted by health issues.

While the above is a summary of Friday's post, today I'm concerned about the reaction of my Democratic acquaintances...Too many are in denial. They refer to Thursday as a bad night. One even credited him for showing up for work sick. Others cite the next day's teleprompter speech as an indication that he's still fit. How partisanship, from both sides, can so warp thinking is incomprehensible to me.

Perhaps Biden will voluntarily drop out and the D party can still be competitive in November.  If he doesn't, they're probably forfeiting the next eight years.

If Biden is replaced, I'm personally hoping for someone right enough of center, that I might vote for.

Taking The Car Keys Away From Grandpa

There's not much to be encouraged about this coming November.  The candidates on the stage made independent Kennedy look better by default in his commercial. 

Beyond his usual talking points, Trump had no reply to any of the questions asked. Biden could address the questions, but only for about thirty seconds, before his mind wandered, and he wondered where he was. 

I think voters will have to vote for party platforms this election, as opposed to a person.

Trump couldn't even answer if he will accept the election results.

It's hard to imagine that Biden will know who he is in a few years.

Trust Non-Profits, Don't Verify

If my blog title seems a little cynical, at least it's not costing you anything. That's more than Hasshan Batts and Karla Walker can say, they're raking it in and asking for more.  Karla doesn't even want you to ask any questions

If you're going to fund us, trust us. Trust that we know what we’re doing. Don't make us jump through hoops for your money.

Hasshan's Promise Neighborhoods now has a $3million dollar budget. Despite Allentown being on track for record number of shootings, including children, he claims that without his services we would have even more (75% more) victims. Walker's program is in Boston.

I think that without their services we would have the same number of shootings, but with more budget available for police. Fortunately for Hasshan and Karla we have no shortage of virtue signalers, unfortunately, those signalers include elected officials. Batts' organization and budget is now the largest gun violence prevention program in the state. 

My sense is that the public is growing weary of their claims. 

photocredit:Jason Addy/LehighValleyNews.com

Tuerk Cries Politics

Mayor Tuerk claims that in addition to the Discrimination Investigation not properly applying for the funding required, it is politically motivated. In a previous post I stated that personally I felt that discrimination was a questionable rap against the Tuerk administration, but his denying funding on a technicality was a flawed decision. Now complaining about political motivation is even weaker on his behalf. 

The junkets to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico were nothing but politics. Lavishing grants on some of the non-profits is nothing but politics. Rising the flag of twenty countries is politics. We have a very diversfied city, too much so to spend resources learning about their culture back in the old country, or establishing sister cities there. Obviously we need to concentrate on making Allentown a safer, more desirable place for those already living here. 

Councilman Zucal maintains that because council is investigating the administration, the normal appropriation method can be bypassed. Council will vote this evening on hiring an attorney to represent them in this matter.

My photo above from last September shows Karen Ocasio walking back to her seat pass Tuerk, after telling city council that as an employee she was discriminated against... Two months later she was fired.

I'm Still Pitching For The WPA

In 2012, over a decade ago, I took our current park director, Karen El-Chaar, on a tour of the Allentown WPA structures. At that time, she was director of Friends of the Allentown Parks.  El-Chaar, a native daughter of the area, seemed to share my interest in seeing these irreplaceable icons preserved. She subsequently secured a grant from the Trexler Trust to repair the stairs by Fountain Park. 

In following years she organized volunteers to clear the overgrown spring pond by Robin Hood. In conjunction with the Friends group, I conducted a couple of tours of the WPA structures in Lehigh Parkway.

When El-Chaar was appointed Park Director by Ray O'Connell, I thought that finally, after so many years, I would have an ally about the WPA in the administration.

As it turns out El-Chaar does care about the WPA, but she hasn't made it a line item priority in the budget. The lower entrance wall of Lehigh Parkway is being repointed, but that is a continuation of the upper wall's replacement, after it collapsed from years of neglect, before El-Chaar's time.

I'm still lobbying to have the landings repaired on the Parkway Double Stairwell. Three years ago, she told me that the Trexler Trust wanted an expert opinion on how the flagstone should be relaid.  She is still waiting for the Trexler Trust to consult an expert, and only then might they issue a grant for that project. I would have preferred that it was already done, within the regular park budget.  Recreation items, such as the skate park, are directly in the city park budget. 

Above is a 1948 photograph of the bridge that went to the WPA man-made island in Lehigh Parkway.  In the 1980's the bridge was removed, and the island allowed to grow wild. When I gave El-Chaar that tour so many years ago, she commented that it would be nice to replace the bridge and restore the island. I replied that I would be satisfied if the remaining WPA structures are maintained....I'm still hoping and waiting for that to happen.

Since I started advocating for the WPA, El-Chaar has been more receptive than the previous directors. However, like the island, once a park feature is gone, we will never get it back. My mission remains to make sure the WPA structures get the timely attention our park history deserves.

photo courtesy of the Price family

above reprinted from September of 2022

ADDENDUM JUNE 25, 2024: The landings on the double stairwell have indeed began to concave from water damage. No expert consultant needed, but a competent concrete person to level the landings, and relay the flagstone. During the Depression hundreds of WPA projects were built throughout the country with the unemployed....They need maintenance, not consultants! The new city administration and another new park director have not responded to any of my entreaties.  I continue to be assertive about obtaining a seat on the new Parknership.  Both the WPA structures and myself are too old for diplomacy.

Stairway To Shame

In the mid 1930's, Allentown, and especially its park system, was endowed with magnificent stone edifices, courtesy of the WPA; Works Progress Administration. This was a New Deal program designed to provide employment during the aftermath of the depression. Stone masons directed the unemployed in this city and built structures which are irreplaceable. The walls and step structures in Lehigh Parkway, as the Union Terrace amphitheater, are legacies which must be protected. Pictured above is the grand stairway from Lawrence Street (Martin Luther King Drive) up to Junction Street, built in 1936. The steps are in a state of disrepair. They lead to the great Junction/Union Street Retaining Wall, thirty feet high and two blocks long, which was completed in 1937. I call upon the Trexler Trust and Allentonians of memory, to insist these steps are re-pointed and preserved. The current Administration knows little of our past.  It's important to save the things in Allentown that matter.

The City of Allentown is embarking upon a $3.8 million dollar capital plan to change the nature of our parks, funded in large part by the Trexler Trust. Although a number of fads will be accommodated, not one dollar is earmarked to preserve the existing WPA treasures. General Trexler envisioned the parks as a reserve for the passive enjoyment of nature. Among the new Disney-World type plans are a wedding pavilion in the Rose Garden, and the largest playground in eastern Pennsylvania to be built in Cedar Park. The trail through Cedar Creek Park will have lights installed, and the picnic areas will be expanded. Anybody driving past Cedar Beach on a Monday morning sees the trash generated currently by only a few picnic tables. How many more park workers will be required to deal with the consequences of these new plans? The playground is being billed as a "Destination Playground", who will pay to keep that clean? Allentown should build and monitor numerous playgrounds throughout center city, within walking distance for children and parents. The Trexler Trust and The City of Allentown have a responsibility to first repair and maintain these iconic stone edifices which are unique to Allentown.

photo info: the dedication stone is on the Union Street wall. The steps shown in the photo here go through a tunnel in the wall and climb up to Spring Garden Street. They are in total disrepair. This posting is a combination of two previous posts, which appeared on this blog last September.

above reprinted from May of 2009

UPDATE APRIL 10, 2018: My campaign to save the WPA structures has been on going  for over a decade. About 10 years ago, I organized meetings at the library to bring attention to the neglect inflicted upon these structures. In the process I tutored Karen El-Chaar, from Friends Of The Parks, on the issues. She then was able to obtain a grant from the Trexler Trust,  and repoint the Fountain Park Steps. I opposed the more outlandish proposals cited above for Rose Garden area, and plans were scaled back.  I organized efforts to dig out and reveal the WPA Spring Pond and Boat Landing, both of which were discarded decades earlier. Because of the neglect, the Lehigh Parkway wall collapsed, but has since been partially rebuilt, to allow use of the entrance road into the park. In cooperation with Friends Of The Parks,  I conducted tours of Lehigh Parkway, featuring its history and WPA structures. During the Pawlowski regime I offered my advice to City Council on the traditional park system and WPA, but it was rejected.  I again make the same offer to Mayor O'Connell and the new administration.

UPDATE MARCH 3, 2020: Although O'Connell did invite me to a meeting about the parks, I am once again a persona non grata.  Karen El-Chaar is now director of parks.  It is my understanding that the Trexler Trust has commissioned a study of the Parkway Structures,  but declined to share any information with me.  It is my informed opinion that the immediate services of a stone mason are much more needed than that of their consultants. Time is the enemy of these structures.

ADDENDUM JUNE24,2024: Although the Trust paid for a consultant and stone mason to repoint the vertical wall of the Parkway's double stairwell, they did not repair the surface of the landings, and they have begun to cave and sink, as I warned. Truth be told, the structures don't need experts, they need upkeep by a stone mason. As I wrote over four years ago, time is the enemy. Although the Trust and City has started a Parknership which will supposedly address WPA structure issues, I have not been offered a seat at the table.

The Morning Call Forgets The Meat

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 its 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.

above reprinted from October of 2011

ADDENDUM JUNE 21, 2024:Thirteen years have passed, and analysis and criticism of the NIZ is still mostly limited to this blog. About four years ago the Morning Call did file a RTK request about NIZ finances,  the denial for which was upheld by the court. Pat Browne had protected the gravy train with a privacy clause added on the ever evolving NIZ legislation. More recently, Jarrett Coleman has followed through with his campaign promise to shed some light on the NIZ 's real cost vs benefit to the taxpayers. In the meantime, Pat Browne is now Director of Revenue for the state, rewarded by a naive Shapiro.

Morning Call Delivery

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.

above reprinted from October of 2011

ADDENDUM JUNE 20, 2024:While I still get the Morning Call on-line, I finally stopped getting the hard copy paper around 2018. When the phone call comes from India several times a year offering me a free Sunday hard copy edition, I beg her not to include me. While I read numerous complaints about the paper's content on social media, I think that they still do a pretty good job with the local news, considering their handicaps of not having a newsroom and a reduced staff.

A Step Daughter

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.

above reprinted from October of 2011 

ADDENDUM JUNE 19, 2024:Although I made my peace with the Cedar Park path, the entities mentioned above have not done so with me. It's my understanding that the Trust and city reached out to numerous people about ideas for the new Parknership. Although my involvement with the WPA structures is well known, and the Parknership will concern itself with those structures, I was never contacted. Furthermore, although I have privately and publicly asked for a seat at the table, I have received no reply. Apparently, I must remain a shadow member, and continuing making my informed recommendations from this blog. Over the years while not acknowledging me, they have never-the-less adopted some of my suggestions. Baby ducks this season were spared from being mulched. The debris from the former Robin Hood Dam, while not removed, has been distributed more evenly around the stone bridge piers. Unfortunately, some important recommendations have still been ignored, but I will remind the entities that be what still needs to be done.

Matt Tuerk As Pastor

Although Matt Tuerk was elected as mayor, he seems more interested in functioning as a pastor. Every time there's a casualty, whether they're run over or shot, he mentions income disparity and affordable housing. A cynic might think that he's preaching to low-income voters, of which there is no shortage in Allentown.

Now if these voters read the paper or listen to the news is questionable.  If these congregants are registered, or will even still be living in Allentown next election is questionable. What is for sure is the taxpaying homeowners, who have to listen to these sermons.

Matt, take off your clerical robe and order your police chief to crack down on motor violations. In the process they will find some drugs and guns. There might be consequences, like an improving quality of life for the taxpayers. Don't concern yourself with affordable housing. If we lose some denizens, maybe there will be less litter. Don't worry about the next election, you have already campaigned enough.

ADDENDUM JUNE 18, 2024:The reason that this post and addendum have the same date is because this post was sitting in my draft file, while I tried to give Tuerk some more benefit of the doubt. However, since he has essentially vetoed council's investigation of his administration, it's time for this post. Personally, I didn't consider the discrimination investigation very necessary, but I consider his canceling of the contract for the investigation totally inappropriate. Council voted for this contract 6 to 1. As a pundit of local government, I eagerly await their reaction.

The Mohican Markets

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 

above reprinted from November of 2011 

ADDENDUM JUNE 17, 2024:That parking lot mentioned above on the former Mohican parcel, is now Butz's third building. The NIZ is too much of an opportunity for any developer to waste on something like convenient parking. For taxpayers to pay your mortgage was a once in a lifetime gift from Pat Browne. The closest food markets of size are now on N. 7th St., Supreme and Apple Markets.

Visiting Easton

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.

above reprinted from November of 2011

ADDENDUM JUNE 14, 2024:At the time this was written in 2011, Sal Panto was trying to build a National Museum of High School Sports, thus  my cracks about Al Bundy from the Married With Children TV show. But, what is truly amazing is that he is still mayor, 900 years later. Is he that good, or is Easton that politically indifferent?

Around The Corner

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. 

reprinted from November of 2011

City Of Allentown Hires Molovinsky

No, rest assured that they didn't hire me. On the contrary, because of this blog, they would like to drag me in front of an eager district magistrate, and throw the book at me. 

However, they did hire my father's Uncle Harry in about 1935.  At that time, same time that they were building the magnificent WPA structures which the city is now allowing to go to seed, Earl Price was the City Forester, and in charge of maintaining the parks. 

By 1900,  my great grandparents and all their offspring were living in the Ward.  I'm now the last Molovinsky left in Allentown, so this blog cannot embarrass any family members.  It can, however, if I do my job correctly, cause some distress among those who are failing to properly honor the city's history.

Harry Molovinsky is in the back row, fifth from the right, in the light colored jacket.

use of photo courtesy of the Price family

ADDENDUM: It has been three weeks since I requested to be included in the new Allentown Parknership...There has been no response. While the new non-profit is being financed by the Trexler Trust in cooperation with the city administration, apparently a deep knowledge of the parks is not one of their requirements.

Allentown's Jewish Band And Scrap Iron

In 1915 Allentown's Judaean Band was the first Jewish band in the United States.  It had started with a group of young men at a 6th Ward soda fountain.  Many of the original members didn't have, or even know how to play an instrument.  Jacob Max, the Tilghman Street scrap dealer, took the group under wing and sponsored the music lessons, instruments and uniforms. The band had great  success for a few years, until its ranks were depleted by service in the Great War.

Among the members was Harry Molovinsky, my grandfather's youngest sibling, and Jakey Max, a prizefighter who became Allentown's first Jewish firefighter.

Jakey worked at the extended family scrapyard for a short while, after both Jacob and his son were killed in separate traffic accidents. The scrapyard stayed in the Max family until 1972.  Today it's called Liberty Recycling. 

reprinted from June of 2020

A Jewish Neighborhood In Allentown

At the turn of the last  century along with other ethnic groups, Allentown's Jewish community was centered in the 6th Ward. On 2nd Street there were two synagogues and numerous Jewish merchants. Among them was Louis Sussman, who operated a bakery and construction business from the corner of 2nd and Allen. His building also housed a textile scrap operation in the basement, and a special event rental hall on the second floor.

There were several kosher butchers, my great grandfather among them. Currently, with the closest supermarket being at 4th and Tilghman, numerous corner markets still operate on 2nd Street. Today's merchants have the same motivation as those who operated from those stores in 1924.

While I have some knowledge of the history of those buildings, it's a new day for both the current merchants and their customers. Shown above on Allen Street are the garages Louis Sussman built in 1912 for his growing construction business.

The Allentown Parking Authority Monster

Although the shopping district in Allentown has shrunk down to only Hamilton and 7th Streets, the meter district remains as it did during the heydays of the 1950's. The meters extend from Walnut to Chew, from 5th to 10th, well over 1000 meters in 20 sq. blocks. Parking meters extend out to 10th and Chew Sts, three full blocks beyond the closest store.* These meters are a defacto penalty for the residents, mostly tenants. In essence, it is a back door tax on Allentown's poorest citizens. The apologists claim the tenants can purchase a resident meter pass, however their friends and visitors cannot. To add insult to injury, in 2005, to help finance a new parking deck for the arts district, the Parking Authority doubled the meter rate and fines. Testimony to City Council permitting the rate increase indicated it was favored by the merchants. At that time I documented to the Council that in fact the merchants were not informed, much less in favor. The vote was 5 to 2, with Hershman and Hoover dissenting
* I used the above copy on my posting of October 3, 2007. In the past several weeks the Parking Authority finally removed the meters in the 900 block of Chew St, 50 years beyond their legitimate need.

UPDATE: The post above is reprinted from September 2009. I have published dozens of posts on the Parking Authority. In 2005, I conducted two press conferences on their abuses; One conference was at 10th and Chew Streets, and concerned the oversized meter zone. The second conference, directly in front of their office, concerned the fabricated merchant survey that they  presented to City Council. Old tricks die hard. Forward ahead to 2015, and the Parking Authority will once again penalize both existing merchants and residents.  The new plan is to double the meter parking rate from $1 an hour, to $2, and extend the metering time to 10:00pm.  They claim that the merchants are in favor of this plan. Although I will not conduct my own survey, as I did 2005,  their survey defies logic.  Why would any of the few surviving merchants want their customers submitted to a destination city parking rates in Allentown? Despite the hype,  Allentown is not Miami Beach or N.Y.C.. In reality, just as the taxpayers are subsidizing the arena zone,  now the merchants and residents will be subsidizing the arena plan through punitive parking rates.

UPDATE Memorial Day Weekend 2015: I did end up asking several merchants, and no, they were not surveyed. Eight years from the original date of this post, and the Authority is still up to the same shenanigans.   Reilly's City Center tenants, merchants and customers will get a free pass for the Authority's inconvenient parking lots. Other existing tenants in the NIZ, such as the south side of the 900 block of Walnut Street, will not be eligible for residential parking permits.  If you have a problem with any of this, remember, you must now put money in the meter at night, before  complaining to City Council.

UPDATE MARCH 20, 2020:  As of noon yesterday, the Parking Authority suspended tickets in the residential permit zones.  However, normal parking meter tickets will continue.  This would have of course punish merchants still open for business during this virus crisis. However, while there are virtually no merchants left on Hamilton Street since the NIZ revitalization, the punishment would have mostly affect the minority merchants on 7th Street....or in other words, life as usual in Allentown. Governor Wolf has declared that all non-essential businesses must close. Will the monster also now stand down?

UPDATE OCTOBER 20, 2020: Numerous voters trying to drop off their ballots at Government Center at 7th and Hamilton, report that the monster has awoken, and is giving out tickets. 

UPDATE AUGUST 10, 2021: I've been writing about the Parking Authority corruption for over fifteen years.  You will not read about this corruption in the Morning Call, because the paper has always benefitted from their association with it, going back to the days of Park & Shop.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 18, 2021: The Authority is now accused of munching on the poor waiting in line to pick up their children at the inner-city schools. Welcome to the Authority's menu, and welcome to Molovinsky On Allentown, which has been reporting on the monster's diet for the last fifteen years.

ADDENDUM JUNE 7, 2024: More than one parking authority director has left Dodge before his/her shenanigens came home to roost. Up there on that list is building parking decks under specs, which then needed extensive rebuilding. Tied for first place is selling off the original long paid off, convenient surface lots, to save connected developers a few bucks for their new projects. (Which in turn required  more expensive decks.) We now find out that the APA is a couple $mils in the hole...Their solution, adding back new meters where they don't belong and increasing parking fines. Allentown hired a former FBI agent to investigate discrimination in city hall, they should instead hire him to investigate the Parking Authority Monster.

Cannibal Valley

During the summer of 1952, Lehigh Valley Transit rode and pulled its 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 its shopping district, which was serviced by those trolleys. As young toothless athletes from Canada, entertain people from Catasauqua, on the ice maintained by a Philadelphia company, Allentown begins another chapter in it's history of cannibalism.

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

reprinted from December of 2011

The Misconception Of Hamilton Street

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
above reprinted from December of 2011 

ADDENDUM JUNE 5, 2024:Since I wrote the above post almost thirteen years ago, nobody can say that there is still shopping on Hamilton Street. I know that there's a few stores still open, but it's certainly no longer a shopping district. Exactly what kind of district it is is debatable. I think urban office park is most descriptive. One would think that after $2Billion of taxpayer dollars, there would be much more vitality.

Whine and Cheese

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.

above reprinted from January of 2012

ADDENDUM JUNE 4, 2024: Needless to say,  the bulldozer ate the beautiful facade above for the our underused arena. What's bringing me back to again complain about our cultural institutions is their silence about the irreplaceable WPA art deco post office, sitting there being submitted to vandalism and theft.