UPDATE: It's fair to say that Pawlowski doesn't think that the arena should be debated by the likes of Molovinsky, Thode, or for that matter, any citizen. In his op-ed piece in the Morning Call today, he ties it's completion to the success of the valley. He should be concentrating on quality of life issues in Allentown, that's the real gauge by which this city is measured.
The moment Ianelli indicated the show started, Fleck started yelling, football stadium volume, in my ear. I managed to regain my composure, and make all my points. I did misspeak once, referring to the arena as the public portion of the project. It's hard to remember that so much public treasure is going to enrich private interests. I asked Sy Traub, head of the NIZ Board, why he could appear, but supposedly Hailstone couldn't, for legal reasons. He had no answer. Fleck's yelling prevented me from actually hearing Steve Thode. White implied that Thode had come with multiple props, I only saw one. Fortunately, he did come with a cigarette carton, prompting me to say something about the immorality of using CHIP funds for Reilly's benefit. Hopefully, Pawlowski will allow the debate to air Monday evening at 8:00p.m. on WFMZ69; but, if the electricity goes out on South Mountain Monday night, you'll know why.UPDATE: Ed Pawlowski has an OP-ED piece in Sunday's Morning Call about the arena. Jeff Barber, debate participant, writes in a comment. Ed, You’re the first Mayor in years to lead Allentown out of a troubled past.... You’re not in this fight alone; they're are hundreds of us behind you. Barber may be correct about hundreds of people supporting the project, but that's not enough, there are 106,000+ people in Allentown.
This is like 3rd grade journalism.
ReplyDeleteMM
ReplyDeleteSorry you had such an ugly situation. You continue to showcase courage many including this writer will never have. Thank you for all you do. Keep up revealing the truth in this venture.
"This is like 3rd grade journalism."
ReplyDeleteAnd this childish anonymous comment is so much more sophisticated and so courageous.
@7:46, did I make an insinuation rather than a documented fact? Yes, but all participants on the pro NIZ side stated that they were asked to appear by the administration.
ReplyDelete"3rd Grad Journalism?" Gee, every college journalism program in the country has a course or more in 'journaiism in the information age'. MM's posts supplants the journalism we don't get from the daily newspapers.
ReplyDeleteGetting loud is apparently what they do when they're wrong and have no reasonable explanation to offer.
ReplyDeleteAny truth to the rumour that the arena project is now stalled?
ReplyDeleteMichael,
ReplyDeleteSteve Thode here.
I was in the lobby of WFMZ at about 2:20 PM when Sara Hailstone arrived. She announced to the receptionist that she was there for a taping of a "roundtable."
Jeff Barber was also in the lobby, and he and Sara spoke for several minutes. I don't think either recognized me.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see a professional poll done valley wide on this project. My guess the results would kill any bond sale.
Scott Armstrong
I have not heard even one person, either on the street or in the city diners I frequent, speak in favor of the "project".
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteAs a new arrival at your site, I must say it is a refreshing site. The King must have a huge ego as this arena fiasco is a joke. Minor league hockey creating a huge economic benefit? Look at at the other sites, Harrisburg (the Bears) and Wilkes-Barr (Penquins). Neither of them put them center city and tried to tie an identity to them. Both have done passably. Reading on the other hand built center city and have failed miserably. Is there a lesson here?
Holy smokes has this been a hard sell!
ReplyDeleteThis Transformation.
This $ 220.0 million dollar Palace of Sport.
REALITY CHECK
Allentown needs something, anything. I see this as a defining moment, a legacy of sorts for myself. But enough about me. I really love my adopted city. If not for small-minded citizens like all of you, my transformation toward a "City without limits" would be halfway home. I look around the downtown and what do I see? Security screens protecting cheap dollar stores, $4.00 buffets, pawn shops, check cashing stores and stylish "urban wear" shops. Who does this attract? We have to clear the field and entice productive, monied, young, hip, latte-drinking, loft-preferring, wine tasting persons who like the glitter of this one-block mega neighborhood I am proposing, dammit. This will in turn create a much needed domino effect. Soon, (by plan), the opposite side of the 800 block will be leveled. And except for that historical church, the south side of Hamilton between sixth and seventh can be destr---ahem, redeveloped in similar manner. Please trust me on this.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Ed P.
Mayor
By the way-
ReplyDeleteI am sick of all of you bashing me here and I fully intend to defend my plans on this site from now on. No one may presume to speak for me in defense of the plan. Not Fleck, not Hailstone, not the "attendee", no one. I repeat, "NO ONE".
I am the successful, big war-chested mayor of Pennsylvania's third largest slu---ahem, city, and as such, I insist that I know what is best to lead it past the Bethlehems of this word.
By the way, I am still pissed that we did not land the casino, and also non-plussed by the decision to put CokePark out there, instead of where I wanted it.
Again, my best to all,
Ed P.
Mayor
Pud is a lying SOS!
ReplyDeletealthough @10:35 and 10:40 are entertaining satire, this blog prefers not to assume anybody's identify. comment @11:32 is unacceptable; such a comment will be removed in the future
ReplyDeleteDid not intend to start any trouble with my obviously satirical mayoral "response". After many months of back & forth on the NIZ topic, I think we have earned and do deserve some levity...
ReplyDeleteSigned,
(Not the real) mayor, Ed P.
It HAS been a long campaign to conquer public opinion with respect to this Palace of Sport, so the People should definitely cut a potentially-tired Chairman some compassionate slack.
ReplyDeleteStalin never had this kind of incessant trouble from Enemies of the State such as this Molovinsky fellow when we put up ours at the Central Lenin Stadium back in '56.
I blame Republicans but, more importantly, have offered a practical solution (labor camp in a Siberian salt mines) on numerous occasions ...
VIKTOR TIKHONOV
Man, I'm getting old. Comrade Stalin was already dead a few years when the Palace of Sport went up! ... My point is the same, however, that we in the U.S.S.R. never had to deal with any sort of disruptive dissent.
ReplyDeleteVIK
I sure hope Mayor Ed P grows a set and realizes that this is just one more project for downtown Allentown that will be a HUGE DISASTER. The city can not control crime now and he wants to open an arena in the heart of trouble land. Does he not realize that someone will need to patrol the streets, fight fires , respond to EMS calls. And who will pay for it the tax payers in the surrounding communities. If he wants to help Allentown he needs to start by fighting crime so it is at least a safe place to go see a game. I won't got o downtown Allentown in fear for the safety of my family. If an Arena should be built put it in Bethlehem over by the Sands. I have the perfect place. Tear down the projects off Stefko Blvd and build it there.
ReplyDeleteMayor Ed Says "I look around the downtown and what do I see? Security screens protecting cheap dollar stores, $4.00 buffets, pawn shops, check cashing stores and stylish "urban wear" shops. Who does this attract? We have to clear the field and entice who like the glitter of this one-block mega neighborhood I am proposing, dammit."
ReplyDeleteBoy is he a typical politician so detached from real people. No self respecting productive, monied, young, hip, latte-drinking, loft-preferring, wine tasting persons would be caught DEAD in downtown Allentown. Downtown has been and will remain DEAD until he addresses the lack of adequate police protection to make people feel SAFE.
Here is a better idea. Wipe out all of Downtown from 15th street to the Tilghman & Hamilton St bridges. Start from scratch and maybe some of the good business' would POSSIBLY want to move there. But I guess he would suggest the surrounding communities contribute to rebuilding that as well.
As the author of the satirical Ed P. posts, I would hope that readers would recognize the joke once they realize the minimal number of spelling errors. Some responders type fast and therefore make errors when typing; other people are ignorant.
ReplyDeleteI have seen the mayor's contributions. I certainly hope that the leader of PA's third largest city is just a guy who types really fast and makes careless errors, and is not in reality, a complete idiot. Maybe his spelling and gramatical errors are reflective of a general careless attitude. An attitude that has resulted in the unfolding downtown fiasco.
The mayor's alter-ego