The head of the Old Allentown Preservation Association, Jim Villaume, needs our help. On nights that the Iron Pigs have fireworks, he is forced to rent an out of town hotel room because of the noise. Apparently, gunfire doesn't bother him. The Administration, with City Council urging, has prevailed on the team to cut back the number of displays, even though fireworks are a time honored minor league tradition. Send donations to cover Mr. Villaume's hotel expenses to the Association office. You know that Allentown Fair is really a noise burden on the surrounding neighborhood.........
cityscape by Mark Beyer
You got to be kidding me ! the fireworks last what maybe 10 minutes at most ? and that kept this clown from sleeping? GIVE ME A BREAK ! there always got to be some Idiot to ruin the fun in this city.
ReplyDeletehonestly - the city scape pisses me off. Villaume pisses me off - his account is ridiculous, but so is the assertion that gunfire is more prevalent than the firework noise. I live here. Fireworks are more prevalent and super annoying- part of living in the city. Gunfire - rare but annoying. I live downtown, I love it, I hate it, I call the cops when I need to. I'm in more danger commuting (car wrecks) than getting shot in a drug deal gone bad or gang war. Get smart - I know you aren't a dummy.
ReplyDeleteanon 6:20, i never said that gunfire was more prevalent than fireworks; on the other hand, i'm so tired of old allentown people whining that perception is worse than the reality, and nothing but good things should be written; "happy little blogs".
ReplyDeleteWho says "only good things should be written???"
ReplyDeleteTRUTH should be written. The whole 'perception vs. reality' debate is done by suburbanites and politicians - therefore worthless to me.
I hate, HATE, fear mongering and generalizations - both present in the MCall story and here (often) at your blog. I typically don't read and rarely comment - again - these blogs are written by outsiders (and NO, your Atown presence in the 50s does not count for me - Whitehall is a non-entity disgrace). I want to hear the views of downtowners NOW - and they are generally too busy working to blog.
jim isn't head of oapa. he hasn't been for 2 years. I live in old allentown too. I can't hear the fire works at coca cola park. frankly, this article is riddled with oddities. bad reporting.
ReplyDeleteanon 7:42, i refrain from revealing some personal information about myself, but to describe me as an "outsider" is absurd. on the other hand, i don't give out trophies for the urban dwellers, who think they should receive special consideration from everyone else because of where they live
ReplyDeleteFireworks are a very old tradition but not without downsides. My mother had a close friend who lived in Germany during the WWII bombings of that country. On he fourth of July she would go to her bedroom, close the curtains and cry as the fireworks soared outside.
ReplyDeleteMr. Molovinsky,
ReplyDeleteWe don't ever recall you asking for donations. Did this man pressure you into this?
As far as perception, we know more people than less who refuse to come into Allentown to meet us. They absolutely will not travel to the city other than to visit the court house or county govt. center. We can't help but wonder who will visit this fancy new restaurant. Someone said on a blog the mayor has spent millions on these restaurants and most have closed. While we wish all businesses success, only time will tell about this new fancy
restaurant's success. We still recall the grant for radio equipment for one restaurant.
MM,
ReplyDeleteYou are not an outsider! Ignore that political ploy to attack the competition rather than defend one's own actions.
anon 10:05, i was joking about the donations for mr. villaume's hotel room.
ReplyDeletehowever, this fall i will attempt to organize a group to support the WPA structures in the park system, and that group will seek donations to fund restoration work.
Anon 7:42
ReplyDeleteI live in the city a few blocks from West Park. I work a regular 9-5 job in the city, as well. I also partner with a city guy, we do modest work on Saturday mornings for a little extra spending money.
"NOW", as luck would have it, I don't have a blog --- I HAVE TWO.
Oddly enough, blog operations are conducted in the factory district a stone's throw from the Lehigh River.
As I noted at CHRIS CASEY'S LVPOLIBLOG --- because I am frugal I don't like paying the parking fees at Coca-Cola Park. Because my right knee was only rebuilt once and the other was never operated on, I like to walk to IronPigs games.
Because I got hit in the head one too many times playing hockey, I am not afraid to go down Front Street although I will admit, the later the game ends, the brisker the pace of the return trip.
I have made the pilgrimage to see the IronPigs get hammered seemingly a million times.
BOTTOM LINE --- personnel indigenous to Front Street seem to enjoy the FREE fireworks shows very much. Lawn chairs and liquid refreshments are literally everywhere.
It reminds me of how things used to be in the neighborhoods around J. Birney Crum Stadium when I was growing up.
This whole business is even more ridiculous than the whole PORK CHOP mascot fiasco...
Mr. Molovinsky,
ReplyDeleteShould you policy of not handing out trophies to urban dwellers change at any time in the future...
...please note that I should prefer my trophy to not be constructed from cheap plastics.
A non-ferrous metal such as brass or copper so my trophy can be displayed at a local scrap yard in exchange for financial considerations would be better.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and, should you have any questions or require additional assistance, please contact me through the usual channels.
MM -
ReplyDeleteWhile I can hear the Pigs' fireworks (I live just west of 15th Street), I found Villaume's comments a bit ridiculous.
Still, I do have a problem with the Pigs' fireworks.
The people near the stadium deserve some degree of peace and quiet in their homes. While some might embrace the fireworks and watch them, I also feel for those who are sick or who have small children. In my mind, their right to a restful night trumps the Pigs' right to shoot off fireworks.
I'm sure many of the nearby homes also lack central air conditioning, which makes if difficult to shut out the noise on a hot summer night.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching the Pigs and an even watching the fireworks at the stadium. The difference is that I can CHOOSE to go or avoid it by staying in the comfort of my own home.
In the end, the baseball is the product - not the fireworks.
anon 9:31, actually, there are no houses very close to the ballpark. dorney park shoots fireworks all summer, every weekend, with houses much closer. for a resident at 9th and gordon to complain is absurd, for the city to request that the ballpark change their promotion program, more absurd.
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:44,
ReplyDeleteYou obviously don't read much of DAN KEHL and his blog, HORN and BELL, the official blog of the # 1 IronPigs fan club.
Mr. Kehl spends alot of time focusing on what Minor League Baseball's product and purpose in life are.
Personally, I am thoroughly disgusted with the IronPigs on-field baseball product after three years of continuous poundings. Unfortunately, I am in a very small minority.
Fact of the matter is --- ask any professional in the business for confirmation --- MiLB does not market baseball.
As luck would have it, MiLB sells family entertainment.
It is not an coincidence the IronPigs give away free blow bubbles to all children entering the Park and free red balloons (sometimes blue) to all children exiting...
Ten minutes out of a twenty four hour day, what a bunch of sourpusses live in this city
ReplyDeleteMM said:
ReplyDelete"dorney park shoots fireworks all summer, every weekend..."
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MM -
Perhaps in the Dorney Park of your dreams, that is occuring.
In the Dorney Park of reality, fireworks only occur on the major holidays - Memorial Day, the 4th of July and Labor Day.