The Wildlands Conservancy now effectively runs both the Allentown and South Whitehall Park systems. While Allentown's official director is reduced to placing new park signs throughout her park system, in the township, their boy shows outdoor movies.
The rains have been good for the Wildlands specified riparian buffers along the creeks in Allentown. Although they serve no environmental purpose, because the storm sewers are piped directly into the streams, they do succeed in keeping both pets and children away from the water. Although, still only June, in many places the creeks have been completely obscured. The other day I saw an elderly woman and her old dog trying to access the creek. Her frustration would have brought smiles to the Wildlands and their lackey park directors.
With both the Robin Hood and Fish Hatchery Dam demolished, the bulldozer now turns to Wehr's Dam. South Whitehall says "Who needs history and beauty, when we can soon show children's movies by the former dam."
photo of Cedar Creek by Allentown Rose Gardens
I was in the Allentown Parkway, Rose Garden area a few weeks back with an environmental ecologist. We noticed that one plant seems to be taking over the buffers along the creek. It is an invasive, toxic plant that is deadly to humans. Poison Hemlock http://kboi2.com/news/local/poisonous-hemlock-how-to-spot-and-control-the-potentially-deadly-plant
ReplyDeleteI did write the WC with no response. It is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.
bill@4:59, you may have noticed that there is a large concrete outlet on the creek's south side by the rose garden. that empties the entire hamilton park neighborhood storm system directly into the creek, by-passing the riparian buffer. to cherry-pick the invasive plants out of the buffer would be incredibly labor intensive. the grow zones should be eliminated, returning the park to its traditional design and beauty.
ReplyDeleteThis is what happens when we have a mayor with no appreciation for Allentown's park system or its history. Parks are not playgrounds either. For a century we didn't have playground equipment in the park, they were in playgrounds. The grass in the parks was cut and people could use streams such as the one in the parkway and Cedar creek to let their children play in them.
ReplyDeleteBut, I suppose, that's not it's natural state so now it looks like hell.
dave@10:39, it's actually worse. pawlowski hired fran dougherty from philadelphia, who in turn hired the last three park directors. the previous director, john mikowchak, gave the Wildlands permission to demolish the two dams on the little lehigh, before he actually ever saw them himself. i hate to dwell on this, but apparently if not me, no one else. i.e. cynthia mota appointed city council chair of parks, and never saw them before my tour.
ReplyDeleteAs you know since the time I started blogging I've detested these weeds. I was thinking back to the time I argued with a previous environmental blogger (AK) about snakes. He adamantly denied there were any till he himself posted about coming across them on his college science project down by Ott Street west of the Rose Garden.
ReplyDeleteI was also thinking back to the time you and several volunteers busted your humps clearing the old boat landing in the Parkway and got blasted by the city for it. Can you only imagine if this were today. The whole lot of ya probably be hauled off cuffed and under $10,000 bail each before being fined.
Almost anyone who's familiar knows all the storm water from one mile North to one mile South and 1 mile to either side is all piped directly into the creek behind the buffer zones.
Unnecessarily creating a breeding a habitat for insects, mosquitoes, snakes, invasive and poisonous plants both there and in our other parks would be the very definition of insanity.
If these so-called environmentalists weren't making a good buck off of this nonsense they'd be out of a job. That's the whole issue plain and simple.
MM,
ReplyDeleteNot only is Allentown's current administration liable for this reprehensible destruction of uncle Harry's park system design?! One should look to those that sit on the Trexler Trust board than there are those like OZ behind this reprehensibility by design?! Hint Hint to the historicly correct the residence of the Quote Me building?!
george@5:43, you have zeroed in on both a previous comment of mine, and an upcoming post. no hint needed; yes, the son and grandson of former mayors certainly knows how far the parks have deviated. to be continued in monday's post.....
ReplyDeleteMM,
ReplyDeleteWill you be reporting on the collective collaborational conflict of interests at the hamfam between TT appointees and administration?!
george@5:34, i will address your question right here and now. however, for further discussion i suggest you start your own blog, instead of raising your questions under my banner.
ReplyDeleteduring pawlowski's first term he would often meet with mal gross and bob wood, who were pawlowski supporters, and who both were on the trexler trust. this was NOT a conflict of interest. a main function of the trust is to fund the allentown park system.