Back in the early 2000's, when Ed Pawlowski was Community Development Director for Mayor Roy Afflerbach, Trexler Trust suspended it's support for the Allentown park system. The yearly park grant was put into an escrow account. It had been discovered that the Trexler park grants were being diverted, and used for the general fund of city operation. To prevent that sort of misuse in the future, the Trexler Trust in 2005 commissioned a master plan for the park system, suggesting what sort of projects would be an appropriate use of their funds. The comprehensive plan, from a Philadelphia land use planner, took inventory of the entire park system, making recommendations for each separate park. It concluded that Cedar Park was being overused,
loved to death. In the meantime, back at Tammany Hall, Ed Pawlowski ran for Mayor in 2005, with some of his closest advisors being Trexler Trustees. The Park and Recreation posts were combined, and a new director was hired. Greg Weitzel, with a graduate degree in recreation, was fresh from building a destination playground in Lewisburg. With Pawlowski and Company distracted with their
Transformation Schemes, Weitzel commissioned more
Destination plans, ignoring the expensive Trexler blueprint. When Weitzel, like Elvis, left the arena last week, he took with him plans for a destination water park at CedarBeach. Had he stayed, we would be competing with Dorney Park. The Trexler Trust remains under Pawlowski's influence, ignoring their own mandates.
MM
ReplyDeleteWasn't it a judge that suspended the inappropriate funds transfers?
@6:46, you are correct
ReplyDeleteThe judge enforcement sadly showcases a lack of responsibility for some, doesn't it? Also, could be wrong, but wasn't the city's current mayor second-in-chief of the city at the time?
ReplyDelete@7:04, yes, that's noted in the post. at that time the city did not have the managing director position, so community development director was considered the second highest position under the mayor
ReplyDeleteThe Trexler Trust bears a large measure of responsibility for all the wrong that has been brought onto the city by the politico they supported.
ReplyDeleteScott Armstrong
Scott,
ReplyDeleteIs the Allentown School District not a beneficiary of the Trexler Trust?
Watch yourself.
This is when paluma just was beging his plans for allentowns economic demise. Helping formulate early retirment packages from the hayte admin and than the aftereffect admin had sent allentown in the downward spiral that is now the eye of the storm.
ReplyDeleteREDD
9:00 AM -
ReplyDeleteIf there were more Scott Armstrongs holding office in the city - unable to be bought off and always willing to speak their mind - the City would not be in the position it is now.
The Trexler Trust should hear it from all the residents of Allentown, including the elected officials.
The Trexler Trust used to stand for something, but is now just packed with cronies. They should be ashamed.
the trust only has five members, so two's enough to push any agenda
ReplyDelete9:00 AM - Bad attitude. One issue is unrelated to the other. I guess in Allentown, elected officials are naturally expected to role over to pacify those who think they control the city with the wave of a checkbook.
ReplyDeleteWhether it be a public trust, governmental entity or tax free organization like a hospital. Remember the people make the difference.
Those who assume they are in power always have an agenda that for the most part ends up excluding what is good for the people of this city.
9am,
ReplyDeleteIf the Trexler Trust would withhold any funds they may otherwise contribute to the ASD because of anything I may say or write, let it be on their heads to explain.
Scott Armstrong
the trexler trust does not contribute to the allentown school system. the allentown park system is their largest grantee, receiving over 25% of their total distribution. in 2011 it was about $1.5million, out of a total of $4million given to various organizations.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete@4:34, i never predicted gangs and muggings at the cedar beach playground. place your comments and antagonism at the hate blog. future such comments will be deleted with no explanation.
ReplyDeleteMolovinski is like "Chicken Little," always braying, "the end is near!" Like that kids playground at Cedar Beach. Remember the mayhem Mike predicted there? Outsiders! Loitering! Vandals! Graphitti! Never happened. That playground is a huge success. Some people just can't adjust to CHANGE, especially change for the better. Molovinski is one of those.
ReplyDeleteMolovinski is like "Chicken Little," always braying, "the end is near!" Like that kids playground at Cedar Beach. Remember the mayhem Mike predicted there? Outsiders! Loitering! Vandals! Graphitti! Never happened. That playground is a huge success. Some people just can't adjust to CHANGE, especially change for the better. Molovinski is one of those.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is donkeys that bray.
ReplyDelete@5:30 and 5:30 again, instead of spamming this blog, why don't you go back to your hate blog and fabricate comments. i have said several times on this blog that the playground is very much enjoyed by many children. should allentown now also build a major water park next to it, filling up that entire open space up to hamilton street? should the trexler trust back such a plan in direct contradiction to the study they commissioned in 2005?. in reality, you couldn't care less about the playground, or even the children. you're just an obsessed hate blogger, and everybody knows it.
ReplyDeleteRetired ASD teacher here.
ReplyDeleteMike, it's important for me to note, the Trexler Trust DID contribute to the Allentown School District. I am a grateful recipient of a huge, six figure, amount of money provided to support my initiative several years back.
The contribution from the Trexler Trust significantly changed the lives of thousands of kids in a positive way.
All this said, I'm certain their funding decisions are heavily influenced by political intervention.
retired, thanks for the clarification. i went over the 2011 grantee list, and saw nothing toward the school system. i assume you are referring to some contribution for a extra-curricular program, as opposed to a general grant to the school system.
ReplyDeleteRetired ASD teacher here.
ReplyDeleteNo, Mike, the funding I received from Trexler Trust was to develop a program that was made available to ALL students within my school. It was a huge success. Had to deal with Technology Education.
Trexler Trust funding enabled us the create a state-of-the-art program geared to urban education.
We created our own curriculum. A program of studies that actually reached "today's" kids. Some of our stuff was adopted in school districts across the country.
We were thwarted when the Trexler Trust funds were used up and our normal, ASD-provided, resources could not continue the mission. Too bad, because we had a good thing going in Allentown that was catching on nationwide.