I've learned that Ed Pawlowski, candidate for Mayor and Governor, did indeed call City Council members and ask for their opinion about the Robin Hood Dam in Lehigh Parkway. Most of them accepted the Wildlands Conservancy's slick powerpoint about improving water quality by removing the historic, beautiful dam. My claim that removing the dam was just environmental tokenism, because of sewage leaks, was ignored. They claimed that they had a DEP report that showed no fecal coliform in the water. In reality, they were ignoring the EPA report, which confirms the sewage problem. Since Council's meeting, The Morning Call did
an article on the EPA report. While the dam still stands, while Pawlowski still has an opportunity to save it's beauty, sound and magic, I now provide proof of my claim. Shown above, 500 yards upstream of the dam, is the meadow full of feces and toilet paper surrounding the manhole cover, sprinkled with lye. This is the meadow where runners gather and stretch before races, where families play. In heavy storms the manhole covers overflow with sewage. The Park Department covers the mess with lye to control the smell and bacteria. The mess is allowed to dry, and then mowed, re-mowed and mowed again into small particles, which are absorbed by the meadow and creek. This picture and that reality aren't nice. This post isn't about solving the sewage dilemma. It's about the Wildlands Conservancy picking and choosing their science to deceive City Council and the Mayor. It's about saving the historic dam, an place of beauty enjoyed by generations of park users.
Mike, as you well know, this is a Lehigh County-wide system infrastructure issue. Ed Pawlowski has nothing to do with it, and he has no authority to "fix it." Engineers and the EPA are on it. It's laughably (and transparently) disingenuous of you to try and hang this sewer overflow problem on Ed Pawlowski, which is why you won't be printing this comment.
ReplyDeletethe above comment is from a well known cyberbully, who distorts things to antagonize people, his victim list now exceeds 60 people. my issue in this post is not the sewage problem, but the dam removal. for park goers to lose the beauty and sound of the dam, to supposedly improve water quality, while the sewage overflow problem exists, makes no sense. rather than "blaming pawlowski" about the sewage, i'm hoping he takes the opportunity to appreciate the magic of the dam and bridge together at robin hood.
ReplyDeleteA Mayor has an obligation to fight back against any threat made against his or her constituents. If it is the LCA that is responsible, then that organization must be confronted.
ReplyDeleteAs to the dam, it is inappropriate for one organization to arrive and specify policy without a Mayor or council making adequate attempts to obtain "second" opinions from other experts.
@7:02, my issue here is saving the dam, i only mentioned the sewage as the 800 lb. gorilla ignored by wildlands in their hypocrisy. wildlands brought a parade of experts to razzle dazzle city council with generalities about dams being bad for water quality. none of them addressed the reality of this particular site, with the sewage problem. nobody, save me, advocated for the historic park system, including the beauty and ambience of the bridge/dam combination. understand that the wildlands is grant driven, with part of those grants going for their salary. removing the dam will depreciate the park experience, that's the bottom line.
ReplyDeleteMM, I realy liked the man that said he did not like you using the word propaganda¿ The mayor sold the Hole water issues in allentown to a higher athuority¿ This all with the publics opinion of not settling for the qwick fix¿ I am very glad the bridge and dam are still there as that is a good Hole for catching the fall stock of trout.
DeleteThis issue is a public health issue that needs to be adressed and fast¿
redd
Mike Pawlowski is grants driven too. One of the big pushes here is that he has his "Grant Tally Board" that lists the total $ of grant dollars he brings into Allentown, and he uses that to bolster his gubernatorial run. He Gets Things Done.
ReplyDeleteWon't work as he's unelectable, but he'll grab credit for any grant $ he can. Couple that with Wildlands insatiable appetite for grant dollars and Council's abdication of its responsibility and you have a perfect recipe for what we have - disaster at every turn.
The Banker
banker @10:02, i used this photograph with great hesitancy. my issue isn't the sewage, but the lengths that the wildlands would resort to in selling their agenda. there is a constituency which does appreciate the ambience of the traditional park icons. my hope is that pawlowski will decide to respect the park's history.
ReplyDeleteWildlands get $$$$$$ from the LCA friends. They are not going to point out the fact that these very same people are pumping raw sewage into the creek.
ReplyDeleteFollow the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
i have rejected several more comments about LCA and the sewage problem. the topic and point here is saving the historic scenic dam, which coupled with the bridge, is a magic spot in lehigh parkway.
ReplyDelete