Return Of The Golem

The golem is the original "super hero" of Judaism. Kabalists believe that life was created through G-d speaking words, and thus, if your beliefs are pure and you are a master of kabala, then you too can create life from nothing. Rabbis over the century were said to have created Golems to protect Jewish settlements in times of anti-Semitic strife. The symbols on which the golem lies are one of the main pillars of Kabala, known in English as the Tree of Life.*

Upset over a recent comment about my motives in regard to Fairview Cemetery, I had the Golem imported from its hiding place in Poland. The following apology did appear on the blogosphere for several minutes today;**/ 1
".... Michael and I had a lengthy phone conversation yesterday and I trust that things are OK again between us. I admitted and apologized to Michael for having posted several anonymous "snarks" at him recently that called into question his motives regarding Fairview Cemetery,......" Bill Villa

Although the Golem remains secure in its box, I will postpone returning it to Poland for the time being.

* this incredible drawing of the golem, and it's explanation is by Juliet Howland http://www.elfwood.com/art/j/u/julieth/golem3jpg.jpg.html

**the apology was first posted onto Bernie O'Hares Blog, deleted and sent to Villa's Blog(Mrs. Dottie) where it was again deleted

1. confession of a blogger. I used the apology as a vehicle to utilize this fascinating drawing. I don't need a golem to handle my critics, besides, it would be a full time job defending me and others in the local blogosphere. This posting is not intended as a springboard for tension between any specific bloggers, nor will such comments be accepted.

Midway Matters

I've been going to the fair for a long time. In the late 50's, my father operated a food stand there near the beer gardens. He then built Flaggs on Hamilton Blvd., today it is known as Ice Cream World. There was no water park back then, and Dorney Park was still family owned. In the early 60's, while still in high school, for a couple of years, a friend and myself operated a tee shirt stand at both the Allentown and Kutztown Fairs. Back then, the midway operator was Goodin's Million Dollar Midway. Then, as today, the sides of the fairground were rented out to individuals, while the large middle, in front of grandstand and farmers market, was rented to the carnival company. Over the years the carnival operator changed, from Goodin through a few others, to S & W. This year there is a new operator and a new walking pattern. For the first time, there is no midway along the grandstand. Fair goers are steered to a new first midway, 75 feet north of the grandstand, and then back down again, at the other end. We Dutchmen, being used as an affectionate term for all older locals, don't like it. We don't do well with change.

photocredit: molovinsky

Vision or Delusion

Over sixty eager beavers met Monday at the center-city Holiday Inn, shown in the background, for the final "Visioning" meeting.*
With help from a grant for $10,000, the following profound statement resulted; ''We envision the Hamilton Street District as the commercial and cultural heart of the Lehigh Valley, an attractive, welcoming community, filled with activity and energy, offering employment, dining, arts, entertainment, shopping, and residential opportunities, supported by culturally diverse and architecturally attractive neighborhoods.'' Mayor Pawlowski said "This whole process.... has been good for galvanizing folks..." Although I used the word "delusion" in the title, actually the process was more of an illusion; a trick making the participants think they have input to the decision making process. When one considers the decision was already made to remove the Lanta bus stops which supported the pre-existing merchants, and all future grant funds of any consequence have already been pre-spent on a couple favored projects, what decisions remain for the beavers? Maybe they can design a new street banner or rearrange a parking meter or two. The fellow in the foreground was not the consultant, but he thought the meeting was silly, so do I.

* http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b5_5vision.6561907aug26,0,6655927.story

Can You Say Loft?

Allentown has a schizophrenic attitude towards apartments. While we are spending millions of dollars to de-convert a few row house in center city, we are also spending millions to subsidize the creation of loft apartments in formerly commercial buildings. Now, lets define we. We may be direct grants from the city; city directed HUD grants, grants through the Redevelopment Authority or the Economic Development Corporation, or State Grants secured by the Administration. It's all we, it's all our tax money, and it's all being promoted by Ed Pawlowski. When Mr. Ed was Community Development Director under Afflerbach he promoted the Farr Loft project. As a mayoral candidate he repeatedly claimed it was private money and proof positive yuppies were clamoring for Hamilton Street life. A few months after Mayor Ed's coronation, the Farr Loft partnership received half a million from the state.* Upfront money, backdoor money, it's all our taxes. Back to this apartment problem, the defenders refer to gentrification. A mom with three children, burdening the school system, is being replaced by a single beamer with disposable income. Here's the rub, we are legitimizing these additional apartments with a hope and prayer for a certain demographic. Time will tell who we get, and how long he will stay. Will the second or third tenant be that mom again with her three children?

* Allentown's Farr building brings home $500,000 in aid ** Help from state tagged for downtown apartment project.
Scott Kraus Of The Morning Call; Morning Call; Jun 19, 2006; pg. B.3;

Mt. Sinai Cemetery

Jews have been buried in a small section of Fairview Cemetery, called Mt. Sinai for over 138 years. Although the markings on several stones have worn away, Hannah Dreifuss was buried there in 1868. Morris Wolf, who served with the local regiment in the Civil War, lived to be 98. He lies next to his wife Julia, who died thirty years earlier in 1907. While many of the 82 graves date back to the early 1900's, burials continued through 20's, 30's, 40's, and later. In July of 2006, thirty years after the last previous burial in 1976, Joseph Levine was laid to rest at the age of 103.

Friends of Fairview

There will be a meeting for "Friends of Fairview" at Faith Baptist Church, 219 N. 12 St. (between Chew and Turner) on Thursday, Aug. 21, at 6:00p.m. The purpose of the meeting will be to explore ways in which the public can assist in improving the cemetery.

CheeseSteak Blowhards

Last Thursday Rendell was in town giving Cunningham and Pawlowski millions of our dollars for projects in Allentown that will probably not produce one job. (new street lights on 19th St., infrastructure for the river-front) Today we learn Mack Trucks will relocate it's headquarters, with hundreds of jobs, to North Carolina. None of Three Amigo's knew anything about it. Mayor Pawlowski said it was an opportunity for us to attract a new business.

Allentown Gets Poorer

FROM SEPT.9, 2005 NEWSCAST
Molovinsky Wants to Reallocate Grants
Story posted on 2005-09-29 18:23:00
THE INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR OF ALLENTOWN SAYS HE WANTS TO MAKE THE CITY UNATTRACTIVE TO LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS. MICHAEL MOLOVINSKY HELD A NEWS CONFERENCE OUTSIDE A HOME ON WEST LIBERTY STREET TODAY.
MOLOVINSKY SAYS ONE OF THE LARGEST PROBLEMS IN ALLENTOWN IS THE POVERTY RATE. CHANNEL 69 NEWS. SEPT. 9. 2005*


Allentown learned today that it's population became poorer between 1999 and 2005.** That's the good news, I know we became even poorer between 2005 and now. When Pawlowski, as a member of the Allentown Housing Authority, endorsed building the newest public housing project in United States, what's the message there? When Pawlowski, first as Community Development Director under Afflerbach, now as Mayor, uses the Community Block Grants to seed organizations which depend of a flow of new poor people, what's the result? Being an advocate for the poor is morally commendable, but it is no criterion on which any city can sustain itself.

* http://wfmz.com/cgi-bin/tt.cgi?action=viewstory&storyid=9223#
** http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_5poverty.6544000aug14,0,7590706.story

New Graveside Tears

Today the Morning Call printed an excellent story about conditions at Fairview Cemetery.* On July 31, I met reporter Brian Callaway and photographer Denise Sanchez at Fairview. We were joined by a family, which had commented on this blog about their negative experiences with the cemetery operator. I was hoping after waiting over a week, the story would have appeared yesterday, in the widely read Sunday paper. After lobbying the paper for 15 months to write a story, I would have preferred a day with more than monday's small circulation. This is a problem which needs publicity. The cemetery owner admitted he increased care after several public complaints last summer. In the article the owner says "If Molovinsky's offer of money is genuine, the cemetery will accept it." My offer was always genuine, but in the last year I learned of people who paid for care which was not performed. An organization is being created to "adopt" and maintain the Jewish section, I hope the owner will agree to this arrangement.

* http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b1_5cemetery.6523914aug11,0,7499886.story

Bikes and Trains

Paul Marin, an activist on transportation issues, hopes to see train service restored between Allentown and New York City, absent over fifty years. It's a big dream, and I wish him success with it. You can read more about his mission in The Morning Call.* What caught my eye in the article, was a proposal to restore rail service between Lansdale and Quakertown. Long ago, back in high school, I recall taking the train from Bethlehem to Philadelphia. As memory serves me, and it doesn't, it was a one car trolley like vehicle, that was remotely operated. By that, I mean in my memory, there was no engineer. Also I was the only one in the car, perhaps I should lay down and tell a psychiatrist about this? Anyway, here comes my point; recently there was an article about turning the track between Bethlehem and Quakertown into a bike or jogging path. These conversions are quite popular now. Millions are spent tearing the track up to make a path for spandex yuppies. Can't these fitness buffs jog and bike someplace else?. How many countless millions would it cost to replace that rail bed and tracks? I know the old tracks may not be suited for high speed trains, but perhaps in the future they could be replaced or used for a tourist trolley. Lets not destroy irreplaceable infrastructure for a StarBuck moment.

* http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_4rails.6536472aug09,0,5730325.story

8th Street Bridge

When opened for traffic on November 17, 1913, with seventeen spans, the Albertus L. Meyers Bridge, then known as the Eighth Street Bridge, was the longest and highest reinforced concrete arch bridge in the world.
The Lehigh Valley Transit Company organized the Allentown Bridge Company in 1911 for the sole purpose of building the bridge. The bridge was designed by the engineering firm of B.H. Davis and built by McArthur Brothers of New York City. Costing in excess of $500,000, construction of the bridge required 29,500 cubic yards (22,600 m³) of concrete and 1.1 million pounds of metal reinforcing rods.
The structure operated as a toll bridge from its November 17, 1913 opening until the 1950s, at which time the toll was five cents for an automobile. The concrete standards that once supported the trolley wire are still standing on the bridge to this day.*
This iconic bridge is a monument to our industrial history; epicenter of both the coment and steel industries. Unfortunately, under the current Pawlowski Administration, which has no knowledge of local history, and no experienced technical personnel, the bridge is suffering. Weeds and undergrowth are being allowed to penetrate the roadbed. Spalling concrete is not being replaced, submitting the reinforcing rods to rust.
UPDATE: Harry C. Trexler, founding member of the Transit Company and Lehigh Portland Cement Co., was a principle player in the construction of this bridge. General Trexler's gravesite, in Fairview Cemetery on Lehigh Street, affords unique views of the bridge and center city Allentown.

Painting of Bridge: by John E. Berninger, 1933, a contemporary of Walter Baum.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albertus_L._Meyers_Bridge

Pawlowski's Hole

Allentown doesn't have much of a political memory. The Morning Call changes out its reporters about every 6 months, and most political activists eventually have lobotomies out of frustration. Never the less, some of you may remember Heydt's hole. After he torn down Hess's, the hole sat there for 18 months while a group of investors failed to find financing for a amateur hockey arena. (The one built later in Bethlehem folded and now is for sale) Now, eight years later, Pawlowski has a hole. Announced with great fanfare, a local developer would build the Cosmopolitan on the site of Sal's Spaghetti House. It makes me nervous when they name a restaurant before they built it. Anyway, Pawlowski bought Sal's, and the city paid for the demolition.(Through one of its Authorities) Then the city gave the Cosmopolitan a $50,000 restaurant grant. Yes, we gave a brick-less name $50,000. I think some of the city puff bloggers were even making reservations for dinner. Back to the hole; as a sidewalk supervisor I was surprised to see the excavators dig under the adjoining Sovereign Building and pour pylons under its footers. Perhaps they were mining, mining for grants. Those pylons have enabled the developer to remove his equipment. and let that hole sit there now for over two months, with no danger to the adjoining building. I'd say about $50,000 worth of work has been done. Last month the city applied for a low cost Liquor License for the Cosmopolitan. Last week, after the Pawlowski Administration had an embarrassing "no comment" in regard to Johnny Manana's, a backhoe was moved back to outside the Cosmopolitan site. Is that backhoe a Pawlowski Prop? Does the developer sense the time is ripe for renewed grants? Does Pawlowski need a new ribbon to cut? *

* There could be legitimate reasons why construction has halted on the Cosmopolitan. However, last month the developer's attorney declined to comment on an explanation.