As an advocate for the park system, seeing the above photograph from the
Morning Call article on the Lehigh River parks, was a harsh joke. The article is subtitled, Insider's Guide To The Lehigh Valley. It actually is an outsider's guide. The reporter states that he has never been to these parks previously, and his tour gulde is Pawlowski. I'll go further, and doubt that any of recent park directors have ever been to Canal Park, which is in a condition somewhere between neglect and hazard. Before I go further, let's be clear that the Morning Call asked Pawlowski, whose negligence allowed the iconic Lehigh Parkway entrance wall to collapse, to be it's tour guide in the parks. Nothing has been done in Canal Park since Pawlowski was elected as mayor in 2005, or before that, when he served as Community Development Director, under Mayor Afflerbach. Pawlowski even refers to the train line through Canal Park as
a problem. Someone should inform him that it is the main west line of Norfolk Southern, and more relevant to Allentown than he is, certainly at this time. As if that wasn't enough irony, Pawlowski is considering a new park to neglect, for boat launching. All this attention about the river is part of the paper's hype for the new NIZ construction, soon to begin by the Tilghman Street Bridge. In a recent exchange with a Morning Call writer/editor, he defended the
informercials
concerning the NIZ. Although I have been sending notes to the paper about the deplorable conditions in the existing parks, they choose instead to engage in a puff promotion for the NIZ, featuring a future indictee. Pass the Tums.
ADDENDUM: In regard to an earlier post, regarding emergency repairs needed at Union Terrace, shared by somebody on facebook, Joe McDermott commented,
"Fine, who is willing to pay more taxes to make those repairs, Mike Molvinsky, maybe?" This is disturbing, because McDermott is a former Morning Call reporter who now pens for Pawlowski. So, although this administration paid Abe Atiyeh $1.4 million dollars for land it's not using or needs for the park system, it employs a hack to link park maintenance with higher taxes.
photo by April Bartholomew/The Morning Call
Joe McDermott has now "blocked" me on facebook, so i can no longer see his comment, or any reply to mine.
ReplyDeleteThe ambitious NIZ project on the riverfront would seem to require substantial infrastructure improvements. Roads, water, sewers, sidewalks, lighting, even improvements to Front & Tilghman access at the bridge. In the end, this is all on the backs of taxpayers. Massive, costly project and adjustments. Not much of a river to begin with in terms of recreation, nor beauty.
ReplyDeleteWorth it?
Too bad this level of spending will actually COMPETE with what has already been thrown at downtown.
Fred Windish
I must in good conscience, sir, take issue with your characterization of Joe McDermott as a "hack".
ReplyDeleteMr. McDermott is a hacks, hack---a hack among hacks!
It is, I believe, important to give credit where credit is due.
"Who is willing to pay for these repairs" What kind of a question or thinking is that? Don't make necessary repairs to historic park infrastructure because it costs money?
ReplyDeleteScott Armstrong
@7:11, you might be correct. in addition to blocking me, he apparently replied to my comment on facebook, but i cannot see it. i can see why pawlowski chose him for help communicating.
ReplyDelete"Fine, who is willing to pay more taxes to make those repairs, Mike Molvinsky, maybe?"
ReplyDeletePerhaps if the money wasn't spent on pipe dreams along the Lehigh River and on Hamilton Street, there would be funds available to repair the park system.
If private developers want to invest in Allentown with new bu8ildngs and attract new business, that's how our Central Business District was established in the first place.
Having a photo of Pawlowski with that smarmy look on his face really isn't the kind of PR the Allentown Parks need.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, the thought of running into a creepy-looking guy like that is probably the reason why most parents fear letting their kids go to any city park on their own.
If he weren't such a self-promoter, and trying to restore his image among those dumb enough to still be in doubt about what he is, he would have declined photos of himself and asked the reporter to take photos of the park or the real people in it.
As far as McDermott, he is a hack. And like any true hack, he gives us the false choice of having to pay more taxes or having the city do it's job.
ReplyDeleteSince he and Pawlowski seem clueless as to a solution, let me offer one:
Ask the Mayor to stop selling city contracts in exchange for campaign contributions. It shrinks the number of vendors willing to bid for such work and drives up the price of the work being done. Take the savings, and apply it to the WPA structure repairs.
Honestly, if Pawlowski would have put as much effort into fixing the WPA structures as he has put into shaking down city vendors, this problem wouldn't exist.
Here's another suggestion for Pawlowski and McDermott as to how to pay for the WPA structure repairs:
ReplyDeleteHave Pawlowski donate the monies in his campaign accounts (Federal and state/local) and put it toward funding the WPA repairs.
After all, Pawlowski ignored his duties as the city's full-time Mayor for his ill-begotten and self-serving runs for Governor and US Senator. It's only fair that any gains from those efforts are returned to the taxpayers.
That's two ideas in just a few minutes. See Joe, the taxpayers don't have to pay more and it's not really all that difficult to find the money for the repairs. You just have to WANT to find the money and make the repairs!
The tarps preventing further erosion at the site of the wall collapse in the Lehigh Parkway were covered with large Home Depot tarps to stem the damage. A modest attempt at damage control to begin with, they are now ripped leaving the ground exposed.
ReplyDeleteMany of the orange safety barrels to protect the public above the collapse have been pushed into the ravine. It is not uncommon to see kids playing just above the collapse where the orange highway barriers have been pushed aside allowing easy access to this dangerous site.
What we have here is a recipe for further damage to the roadway and a clear and obvious hazard to a reckless and unsupervised public.
This site is an accident waiting to happen.
Both the public safety committee and the parks committee of Allentown city Council appear oblivious to these hazards. Disgraceful.
Looking at that photo I can only think "here's a guy who is full of himself".
ReplyDeleteVOR
the main problem facing the WPA structures is that Pawlowski, and three park directors he has hired in the last 10 years, are from out of town, and have no real feeling or knowledge of the parks. this disregard has been accentuated by an indifferent city council, and reporters at the morning call, also with no institutional memory of the park system.
ReplyDeleteI suppose we next can expect to hear from former "Road Warrior" and now DEMOCRAT candidate Dan Hartzell.
ReplyDeleteMM at 8:58: you are so right about that. Today's elected officials see government as a social services agency, not a representative of all the people. To these officials the word 'infrastructure' means nothing unless it is for public housing for the 'po!
ReplyDelete@9:44, i don't see maintaining the assets of our parks as a political, partisan or liberal/conservative thing. consequently, i will not host any more comments suggesting such, on this park post.
ReplyDeleteWFMZ (Jun 21, 2015)- "City officials first became aware that the retaining wall was beginning to move away from the road about six years ago."
ReplyDeleteYet over far less then those six years we managed to level block after block of downtown Allentown spending nearly $1b of taxpayers' money for one NIZ building after another. Yet can't seem to find the motivation to dab far less costs for mortar on these structures to save them. Totally ridiculous. There is no possible logical explanation other then the well connected aren't going to selfishly get rich off these kind of projects.
Here's a suggestion for those who benefited from our tax dollars going downtown enriching a few... how about some of you guys get together and contribute labor and yes even a few buck$ in return for all you've been given? Seems to me if any of these characters care as much as they say they do they should put into action that of the words which they speak. Perhaps if they would do something like this there would be less harsh words spoken of them.
Molovinsky has spoken many times about Harry Trailer. In his day he too was a wealthy man. Obviously what he accomplished in his day is completely lost on today's developers. What a damned shame!
OOPS
ReplyDeleteStupid auto correct (Harry Trexler)
To quote the article: "The 26-acre area straddling the Tilghman Street bridge will be bustling with activity — from restaurants, retail shops"
ReplyDelete"So the development will certainly be transformational,"
Bustling and transformational.
More restaurants and retail - I find it hard to believe in so many ways.
MM,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading all edited out news worthy articals of allentowns circus twist of the Z¿!($
I have put together an even better sales pitch, that would be the mayor water sking in bernie's garb depicted for king and than have pat brown driving the boat with alcoholic cocktail in hand¿!($
This with diners in the backgrond watching the entertainment of this developmental transgretions¿!($
Can someone do a digitally inhanced picture depicting the facts in the city without limitations¿!($
This neglect is criminal in the most literal sense.
ReplyDeleteI still find it difficult to believe the detour into the park runs less than 100ft. from the Police Academy's life fire gun range.
ReplyDeleteAstonishing!!!
Doesn't anyone monitor this band of incompetents
i've never actually seen the police range, but i must believe that like every other range that i have seen, there is a defined earthen backbern behind the target area.
ReplyDeleteT.ive been at the Allentown police academy range many times. It has an adequate backstop but the commentor is correct, the detour road runs very close. You would never ever see a road in a range in such close proximity he with any thoughtful planning.
ReplyDeleteThere is good reason why this range was designed and plan for this formally tucked away location.
Safty.