When Beauty Ruled Allentown Parks

When I grew up, beauty was the hallmark of the Allentown Park System. The parks were featured by picture postcard makers, and were sent out across the country by visitors who came to marvel at our unique park system. This is not to say that they weren't played in and enjoyed by the residents. Kids passed footballs while their fathers fished along the willow lined creek edges. As I grew up living above Lehigh Parkway in Little Lehigh Manor, I can testify that hundreds of kids played in the parks all day. The parks were designed for both beauty and enjoyment.

Last weekend hundreds of tree saplings were densely planned along the creek at the rose garden. This was done to permanentize the Phony Riparian Buffer. I call it phony because in Allentown the storm water is piped directly into the streams, bypassing the buffers anyway. All that the buffers do is deny both access and visual beauty of the creeks to the public. This access and beauty was the main design feature of the Allentown Park System, and it is why the parks were placed along the streams.

The buffers are promoted by the Wildland Conservancy,  a local sacred cow which I stand alone against when defending our traditional park system.  On Friday I had my first talk with the park director since the man who hired her got convicted.  I realize that I will never succeed in having the stream banks fully restored as they were designed to be.  It is my revised mission to get sections of the banks kept mowed,  where a father might show his daughter the beauty of the creek on a spring day.

Annual NIZ Sleight Of Hand

Yesterday The Morning Call came out with their annual NIZ sleight of hand report.  It states that the NIZ is a success, because in addition to generating the taxes that center city paid previously to the state,  it earned an additional $53 million, which was used to pay $20 million for the arena and $33 million to J.B. Reilly's privately owned, but publicly financed real estate empire.

This year's report is written by a different reporter,  because the previous one spun so well he is now working for the tax funded county development agency.

What the report doesn't tell you is astounding.  Not one job or tax dollar is new to Pennsylvania.  All the businesses were poached from elsewhere in the state, many from South Whitehall.  A large percentage of that money isn't from jobs at all, but actually from the cigarette tax, which previously was used for  CHIP,  the children's health insurance program.

Understand that the sleight of hand report was written in the Morning Call building,  now owned by Reilly,  by a reporter whose own states taxes now go to Reilly.  Finding truth in this valley is becoming more challenging.  Don't assume it's in the newspaper,  or even elsewhere in the local blogosphere.

Allentown As The All American City

To we who are native Allentonians, the recent announcement of Allentown being nominated as an All American City once again is amusing. Last time we received that designation(in 1975) there were real things to hang that hat on, but now there are just facades embellished by press agents.

The requirement states that To apply, municipalities must show that they include all segments of their population in community decision-making, including diverse ethnic, racial, socio-economic and age groups, according to the National Civic League. The city must also be able to show “demonstrable, significant and measurable” achievements from the last five years.  Needless to say the city is offering the rebuilt Hamilton Street (NIZ) as its entry for the contest.  I can tell you that the public, and certainly any ethnic public, had no input what- so- ever in the NIZ. I met with the former merchants of Hamilton Street when they were being bullied by strawbuyers to sell their lifetime of work in short order,  while being threatened with eminent domain.

Our local politicians are beaming about Allentown again being nominated. They will send a delegation to Denver when the winners are announced in June.  I suspect that they won't pick me to represent the city.

A Tale Of Two Bridges

In the mid 50's, it was a big deal to us southsiders when they opened the new 15th Street Bridge. Prior to that, we had to either go over the 8th Street Bridge, or use the old stone arch bridge by the fertilizer plant. The fertilizer plant is long gone, but the old stone bridge is still there. Schreibers Bridge was built in 1828, and rehabilitated in 1920. The new 15th Street bridge was built in 1957, and is now restricted to south bound only, until which time it can be completely replaced. So the new bridge lasted 54 years, while the old stone bridge is still in use, 182 years later.

Recently, I urged Donny Cunningham not to replace the stone arch bridge on Reading Road. His project manager, Glenn Solt, insists that the historic bridge must be replaced. He stated that stone arch bridges look nice on the outside, but inside, they're filled with "crap." Thankfully, Don and Glenn didn't target Schreibers Bridge, because we're really going to need it with the new 15th Street Bridge out of commission. Hopefully, they will reconsider about stealing our history on Reading Road.

above reprinted from November of 2010  

ADDENDUM APRIL 25, 2018:   The 15th Street Bridge has been replaced.  Historic Schreiber's Bridge will now be closed to repair the north side entrance wing, which was damaged by a truck during the new, new bridge replacement.  I did manage to save the Reading Road Bridge.  Hopefully, I can now prevail upon  the new mayor, Ray O'Connell, to save the endangered Monumental Double Stairway in Lehigh Parkway.

Congressional Candidates Night In Bethlehem

Brith Sholom, the largest Jewish congregation in Bethlehem, is holding a conversation with the 7th District Congressional candidates tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m..  Although all Democrats and the Libertarian are expected to attend, both the Republican candidates had prior commitments.  Marty Nothstein will be at the Lehigh County Commissioner meeting. The candidate's views, especially in regard to Middle East affairs, will be a topic of special interest.   Members of the general public are welcome to attend.
                                                 
                         WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2018, 7:00p.m.
                                    Congregation Brith Sholom
                          1190 West Macada Road, Bethlehem, Pa.

Morning Call Editorials

In his column yesterday, Lehigh Valley congressional candidate Marty Nothstein owes League of Women Voters an apology, Bill White took Marty Nothstein to task for dodging the League Of Women Voters debate. This is the League's debate focused on the new 7th Congressional District primary, which invited all the candidates. White's complaint against Nothstein's decision is fair in its own right. However, Bill White's column is now the de facto political editorials for the paper, and the paper's record is questionable, at best.

For example, in 2005, although I was the first independent to run for mayor in two decades at the time, the Morning Call excluded me from their sponsored debate with Muhlenberg College, televised by Channel 39. Every day for two weeks they promoted the debate, running a quarter page photograph of both Pawlowski and Heydt in the paper. The paper's circulation was considerably larger back then, and those debate advertisements essentially told the public that there were only two candidates running for office, not three. They justified that action by claiming a poll by Mulhenberg showed my support below their threshold for inclusion. At the time the paper's other columnist, Paul Carpenter, ran a column about the inequality of that decision.  I can appreciate that my complaint sounds egocentric, but I assure you that over the years the paper has marginalized many other  candidates as well.

I can accept that Bill White now writes the editorials for the paper, but he should know that at least one local blogger will scrutinize them.

Spongebaths For The Homeless At Starbucks

Starbucks, in their yearning to be politically correct,  has probably irrevocably degraded their brand, at least in the urban markets.   The policy of restricting restroom use to paying customers is standard procedure in large urban areas.  A white middle class woman told me that she was denied use of the restroom for not being a paying patron at the same Philadelphia Starbucks at the center of the controversy.

Apparently, it is a Starbucks CEO tradition to let PC race ahead of common sense.  Last year they promised to hire 8,000 immigrants.  While nobody is waiting for the immigrants before they buy their latte,  the homeless will start availing themselves of the restrooms.  While my liberal readers, all six of them, will welcome the better restroom facilities for the homeless,  their tune may change next time they use the bathroom in a Philadelphia Starbucks.

If Starbucks' corporate reaction to the incident wasn't enough,  now the Philadelphia Police Commissioner is walking back his previous support of the arresting officers.  He has apologized to the two men arrested, who refused to leave as instructed by the responding officers.  While only reinforcing victim mentality,  I don't see anything productive in these reactions.

photocredit: Bryant/Philadelphia Inquirer

Dent Turbocharges Congressional Election

With Charlie Dent announcing that he is resigning within weeks,  chances are that a short term incumbent will be running in the November election for the new 7th Congressional District.  With the primary elections coming up in about a month,  the winners will most likely be chosen to compete in  the special election which Governor Wolf will call for after Dent's formal resignation.  The winner of the special election will complete Dent's current term in the 15th District.

Pundits of the cynical nature will assume that Dent is resigning to enhance the chances of his chosen successor to win the November general election.  As it stands right now, I believe that Nothstein and Morganelli are their respective party favorites.

Dent's resignation, for whatever reason,  will not be popular locally in the short term.  However,  he has served his constituents on both the state and federal level for many years,  and he will be appreciated for that long service.

Bill White's Artificial World

I hate it when Bill White compels me to review him,  as he did yesterday while writing.... since the only people who buy into his propaganda(Hannity) at this point are Trump true believers who are beyond caring about the actual truth of what’s happening.  White was criticizing Sean Hannity at White's Morning Call blog about not disclosing that he (Hannity) had received legal real estate advice from Michael Cohen.  White went on to question both the journalistic integrity of Hannity and Fox News.

Therefore, according to Bill White, a lot of Morning Call readers don't care about the actual truth.  Perhaps Bill should concern himself more with actual truth in the Morning Call's little world.  His paper might be more forthcoming about Allentown's NIZ, and its(The Morning Call) landlord, J.B Reilly.  While the FBI investigation and indictment of Ed Pawlowski finally brought an end to the paper's bromance with city hall,  it continues to praise the NIZ, as if Allentown's revitalization is real, as opposed to a richly subsided staged production at taxpayer expense.

In our era of reduced newspaper circulation, the Morning Call survived because of corporate affiliation, not journalistic merit.  Although White, now after so many years is a senior tenured employee for the outside management,  he needs to realize that journalistic integrity should start with the home paper.

Allentown, Syria and Trump

Allentown has one of the largest Syrian Christian communities in the United States.  Most members of that community attend St. Georges Orthodox Church, and have been in Allentown for three or more  generations.  Like other ethnic groups they settled in the 6th Ward in the early 1900's.  Although a minority in Syria,  they are protected by Assad and his father before him.  The Morning Call has been featuring their defense of Assad and their objection to the recent missile attack by the United States.  It is their position that the gas attack was anti-Assad propaganda,  and not carried out by the Syrian Government.

The Syrian civil war continues to be a tragedy.  With over 400,000 deaths and 5 million refugees,  a missile attack on possible gas production facilities is the least of Syria's problems.  Putting aside the  Syrian Christian objections,  the attack has also become a political football with other factions.  The anti-Trumpers find fault with it, or anything he would do.  Because both Britain and France participated in the military action,  the opposition parties in those countries accuse both Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron of kowtowing to Trump.

United States and its allies cannot turn a blind eye to the use of gas and poison even in the most horrendous of wars.  Likewise, the coalition cannot be deterred by threats from Russia.  The response was both measured and appropriate.

photocredit:April Gamiz/The Morning Call

A Meat Market In Easton

When I was in high school my father owned a small meat market in Easton.  It was called Melbern, and was on South 4th Street. That small row of old buildings was replaced in the early 1980's by the current KWM Insurance Agency.  I spent my high school summers working in the meat market,  and exploring Northampton Street on my lunch breaks.

Recently, I returned to retrace my steps. Back then I would walk down to the circle for lunch,  usually stopping to visit a friend who worked at the lunchmeat counter in the five and dime.  The circle is still busy with a lunch crowd,  even without a NIZ subsidized by Pennsylvania taxpayers.

The buildings, for the most part, are original and charming.  Easton is up and coming,  because it wasn't lucky enough to become revitalized with sterile towers of architectural mediocrity.

I even stopped in to visit Sal Panto at the new city hall. I suspect he saw me coming through a surveillance system,  because his secretary assured me that he wasn't in.

photo of Easton Center Square, 1948

The Morning Call's Unbashful Cheerleading

The special section in this weekend's Morning Call is called Great Expectation,The Story of Allentown's Renaissance. In this 36-page special section, The Morning Call will take a closer look at the urban renaissance underway in Allentown, the projects that will bring thousands of workers and hundreds of new residents to the city's downtown... Less than 48 hours ago this blogger wrote that molovinsky on allentown was turning the corner on the arena, but I didn't mean that I would condone unfettered cheerleading by the press. In the first of four sections each Morning Call reporter writes an essay referencing Allentown's past, although none of them have any actual memory or experience of that era, beyond the paper's archives. The second section promotes the new businesses arriving and refers to center city as a boomtown. The article omits the reality that taxpayers across the state are subsidizing Allentown's transformation. Section C is about The People Behind the Transformation. Although the paper writes that they are the engine of change, it can also be said that they are the private beneficiaries of public money. The last section may be the worst. It is supposedly essays by civic leaders. Some of them are bystanders, and some of them had absolutely nothing to do with any of it. All four sections are packed with paid advertisements, with the biggest ads coming from those benefitting the most. Yesterday, I reached out to several current and former members of our political establishment, for their opinion of the paper's special edition. They all agreed that it ranged from unbalanced to outright promotion, dressed up as journalism.

 above reprinted from March of 2014

ADDENDUM April 13, 2018: Four years later and the paper is now Reilly's tenant, and pimping the NIZ and his buildings more than ever. Today's paper features that two more tenants are coming to Reilly's new Tower Of Taxpayer Subsidy. The last lines of the article explain that space is still available, and actually provides contact info for Reilly's rental office. Although, The Morning Call has often used Reilly's press releases as news articles, they usually remember to remove the rental contact info.

The Greg Edwards Mission

My introduction to hearing Pastor/Candidate Greg Edwards speak was at the Hip Hop forum last week.  He spoke eloquently, staying on topic within the time allotted him.  To his credit, he did not mention the campaign, even once.  Edwards is running for the new 7th Congressional District, which for the most part is Charlie Dent's old 15th District.

He has built his non-demoninational  Resurrected Life Community Church into a local social/political force for minority empowerment.  He is CEO of the Resurrected Community Development Corporation, which developed from the church's social and educational ministries.   He is also president of the board of directors for Power Northeast  which sought to remove the previous Allentown school superintendent and replace him with one of their liking.  They succeeded in that task.

I don't know if Edwards will succeed in his quest for congress,  but he is certainly becoming a strong voice in the community.

photo from campaign website


ADDENDUM: An earlier version of this post misidentified POWER NORTHEAST as a component of the Resurrected Life Community Development Corporation,  they are affiliated with Alliance For Sustainable Communities.

The Hamilton Street Bridge

The current Hamilton Street Bridge was completed in 1959, replacing the former steel trestle bridge. With the new Hamilton Street entrance ramp aligned further to the south, a small portion of front street and a few houses were vacated. Additionally, an entrance ramp was added from Union Street, which previously ended at Front Street. The photo above shows a portion of the earlier bridge and the former A&B meat packing plant, beyond their office building.  The office building has been incorporated into the America On Wheels Transportation Museum.

lower photo shows entrance to former steel trestle bridge, with entrance ramp skirting A&B Packing House.

above reprinted from May 2013

UPDATE APRIL 11, 2018: My father's meat market was at the end of Union Street, before you went over the bridge. At that time there were still houses, people, luncheonettes and train traffic in that busy neighborhood.  I will take advantage of this time, between the former Pawlowski regime and the new O'Connell administration,  to revisit some of my blog posts about Allentown's industrial era.

Stairway To Shame

In the mid 1930's, Allentown, and especially its park system, was endowed with magnificent stone edifices, courtesy of the WPA; Works Progress Administration. This was a New Deal program designed to provide employment during the aftermath of the depression. Stone masons from all over the country converged on this city and built structures which are irreplaceable. The walls and step structures in Lehigh Parkway, as the Union Terrace amphitheater, are legacies which must be protected. Pictured above is the grand stairway from Lawrence Street (Martin Luther King Drive) up to Jackson Street, built in 1936. The steps are in a state of disrepair. They lead to the great Jackson Street Retaining Wall, thirty feet high and two blocks long, which was completed in 1937. I call upon the Trexler Trust and Allentonians of memory, to insist these steps are re-pointed and preserved. The current Administration knows little of our past.  It's important to save the things in Allentown that matter.

The City of Allentown is embarking upon a $3.8 million dollar capital plan to change the nature of our parks, funded in large part by the Trexler Trust. Although a number of fads will be accommodated, not one dollar is earmarked to preserve the existing WPA treasures. General Trexler envisioned the parks as a reserve for the passive enjoyment of nature. Among the new Disney-World type plans are a wedding pavilion in the Rose Garden, and the largest playground in eastern Pennsylvania to be built in Cedar Park. The trail through Cedar Creek Park will have lights installed, and the picnic areas will be expanded. Anybody driving past Cedar Beach on a Monday morning sees the trash generated currently by only a few picnic tables. How many more park workers will be required to deal with the consequences of these new plans? The playground is being billed as a "Destination Playground", who will pay to keep that clean? Allentown should build and monitor numerous playgrounds throughout center city, within walking distance for children and parents. The Trexler Trust and The City of Allentown have a responsibility to first repair and maintain these iconic stone edifices which are unique to Allentown.

photo info: the dedication stone is on the Union Street wall. The steps shown in the photo here go through a tunnel in the wall and climb up to Spring Garden Street. They are in total disrepair. This posting is a combination of two previous posts, which appeared on this blog last September.

above reprinted from June of 2015 and years earlier

UPDATE APRIL 10, 2018: My campaign to save the WPA structures has been on going  for over a decade. About 10 years ago, I organized meetings at the library to bring attention to the neglect inflicted upon these structures. In the process I tutored Karen El-Chaar, from Friends Of The Parks, on the issues. She then was able to obtain a grant from the Trexler Trust,  and repoint the Fountain Park Steps. I organized efforts to dig out and reveal the WPA Spring Pond and Boat Landing, both of which were discarded decades earlier. Because of the neglect, the Lehigh Parkway wall collapsed, but has since been partially rebuilt, to allow use of the entrance road into the park. In cooperation with Friends Of The Parks,  I conducted tours of Lehigh Parkway, featuring its history and WPA structures. During the Pawlowski regime I offered my advice to City Council on the traditional park system and WPA, but it was rejected.  I again make the same offer to Mayor O'Connell and the new administration.

Another Blackeye For Allentown

The front page of the Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer, and three full inside pages, were devoted to numerous women telling how they were sexually exploited by the director of the Allentown based Cadet Drum and Bugle Corps.  The women, spurred on by the current Me Too movement, paint a sordid picture of what was considered a local success story.  It takes enormous courage for a woman to speak out and have her name and photograph end up in the paper.

Although, both he and his attorney deny any criminal wrongdoing, and he resigned on Thursday, this abuser had been band director since 1982.  Some of the victims were teenagers at the time of the alleged assault. Considering how long he was in that position of power,  expect to see more women come forward.

ADDENDUM: Those interested in the sordid details of this story can find such in Sunday's Inquirer.  My interest is the backstory, that the Cadet board was informed back in January of the allegations. That allegation was made anonymously, and demanded that the director resign back then, or the story would be made public.  Furthermore, a comment in the Morning Call suggests that the local newspaper may also have been previously informed of the allegations.

UPDATE: The above post was published at 5:03 this morning.  At 7:05 am,  two hours later, The Morning Call came out with a second apology from the Cadet board,  acknowledging that they could have shown more sensitivity to the victims in their initial statement.  Perhaps, The Morning Call will divulge if the newspaper indeed had prior reports of these abuse allegations?

In The Allentown Trenches Blogging

When you're a non-partisan blogger in Allentown, you end up pissing everyone off, sometimes in the same week.  Such was the case this week.  I started the week by pissing off the liberals disclosing that Cynthia Mota worked for Hasshan Batts, whom she was nominating for Mayor. Although Bill White's column implies that his paper made that revelation,  we know better than that.

My post on the Hip Hop Forum annoyed some conservatives by giving voice to something they consider to have no redeeming value.  Although, the progressives approved of it,  a previous post on the concert itself was vilified by them.

Yesterday's post on the Rescue Mission annoyed everybody.  While the Mission has sacred cow status in Allentown, especially with the liberal Democrats,  Republicans sit on its board of directors.  The bottom line is that they're top heavy,  receiving only a 66 out of 100 rating from Charity Navigator. They spend over $800,000 a year fundraising.

My only safe ground for the week was my post on the threat to the architecturally iconic post office,  which  resulted in no less than two groups starting an effort to preserve it.

This blog has no allegiance to any politician, party or organization.  I call it as my institutional knowledge indicates.  Although I regret when a post offends someone,  I cannot walk on eggshells and produce a meaningful blog at the same time.

Indentured Servants of The Rescue Mission

Long time subscribers to this blog know that I have a problem with the Rescue Mission and other assorted sacred cows.  Fifty years ago the Mission gave a cot and bowl of gruel to forty or so men a night and was run on a shoe string.  Today, they still give the cot and gruel to about 60 men,  but take in over $3 million dollars a year..  Although they fundraise endlessly, they're sitting on almost $6 million in the bank.

While I have blogged about them being overfunded before, I wasn't really tuned into their slavery program.  As Pawlowski's trial began,  City Council awarded them a three year contract to clean Hamilton street for $845,000.  The Mission turns around and uses this contract to solicit more donations, by advertising that they provide employment and job training for the downtrodden.  What they do not reveal is that they deduct for room and board from the wages they pay,  making their workers something between indentured servants and slaves.

These sacred cows in the valley make the donors feel good about themselves.  Gunther looks like a hero making meatballs for an annual spaghetti dinner at a local church.  Those who bid on a meatball feel good about themselves.  Don't let  a cynical blogger like myself ruin your appetite.

Hip Hop At The Library

Last night Cheryl Johnson Watts of the Allentown NAACP was the MC of a free wheeling symposium on Hip Hop at the Allentown Library. A full house was treated to the history, philosophy and business aspects of that genre. While some described hip hop as an urban musical expression rooted in inner city oppression, others saw its cross demographic appeal as an agent of change. Local promoter Mark Hunt, pictured above, promised to bring more hip hop to the PPL Center.

In addition to defining hip hop, the panel was a stage for showcasing local leadership. Pastor James Rivera of Ridge Avenue is a longtime agent of change in the 6th Ward. Rev. Gregory Edwards hopes to represent the community in the 15th Congressional District.

Allentown Police Captain Glenn Granitz explained the challenges of the city providing entertainment and public safety at the same time. John Moser of The Morning Call wrote a detailed report of the meeting. The last speaker, and the only white member of the panel, was activist Robert Trotner. He simply stated that he really knew nothing about hip hop, but learned a lot last night.... I'm in his group.

photo/molovinsky

Barbarians At Allentown Post Office Gate

In the 1930's, the "New Deal" was good to Allentown.  Our park system was enriched by monumental stone construction under the WPA. We also received one of the architectural gems of our area, the magnificent art deco post office. Constructed during 1933-34, no detail was spared in making the lobby an ageless classic. The floor is adorned with handmade Mercer tiles from Doylestown. Muralist Gifford Reynolds Beal worked thru 1939 portraying the Valley's cultural and industrial history.

Unfortunately for history and culture, this architectural gem is now being targeted for NIZ private/public enrichment.  Several architectural treasures were demolished for the arena, along with Allentown's mercantile history. The Postal Service has signed off on the building, and the developer is chomping at the bit. The real tragedy is that the other new buildings are not even full, but with private construction being funded by taxpayers, there is no need to worry about such details as occupancy rates.  Efforts to save this irreplaceable building may start and end on this blog.  The Morning Call, itself a partner in the NIZ,  has taken a back seat on such matters.

The 83 year old photograph, part of my private collection,  is the contractor's documentation of the project's progress. The back of the photo states; Taken Sept 1 - 34 showing lobby, floor, screens, desks, completed & fixtures hung  

Time For Cynthia To Resign

The time has come for Cynthia Mota to resign from Allentown City Council. Although she works for Promise Neighborhood of Lehigh Valley, which is directed by Hasshan Batts, she didn't disclose that connection when she voted eleven times last Thursday to make him mayor. Cynthia appears to have zero conception of what constitutes a conflict of interest.

In late January Batts met with councilwoman Mota to discuss the needs of families in Allentown.  By early February  Promise Neighborhoods hired Mota as Community Manager.  Apparently, Mota and Batts are also concerned with their own family needs.

In addition to reaching out to the city, Promise Neighborhoods is reaching out to the state, to see what resources they can harvest there.  They seem to be forming the perfect vehicle to become a depository of politically correct funding.  Care to make a donation?

ADDENDUM: Emily Opilo of The Morning Call writes on Twitter at 2:50 pm: So Allentown Councilwoman Cynthia Mota does work for Allentown Promise Neighborhood and was hired by Hasshan Batts, the same candidate she voted for in 11 rounds of voting for mayor. But that doesn't appear to violate the city's ethics ordinance. I'll have a story explaining. 

Will the paper provide proper attribution to this blog?

UPDATE:The Morning Call story on Mota is out. Mota should be ashamed for not disclosing that she worked for Batts, and The Morning Call should be ashamed for not disclosing that this blog broke the story.

UPDATE APRIL 3, 10:45 AM.  I have been assured by the Morning Call reporter, despite the timeline, that her report was derived completely independently of mine.

Allentown's Minority Divisions

In my post on Friday I wrote about some minorities complaining about being underrepresented in the city government.  An irony is worth noting:  In a large part, minorities elected Ed Pawlowski last November.  Photographs at his campaign victory parties, in both the primary and general election, except for his family, show mostly people of color.

I'm not a politically correct person, nor particularly sensitive.   On Thursday evening environmental activist Dan Poresky told council that he has known Hasshan Batts for months,  and how capable Hasshan is of keeping multiple balls in the air.  Poresky has involved himself in local politics since before 2005, when he supported Pawlowski.  Dan is connected to Joyce Marin, who is on the board of Promise Neighborhoods, which employs Hasshan Batts as director.  Hasshan, with his expedited online doctorate, is apparently the current darling of the enlightened private/public funded salary trough of United Way/Renew/Pool Foundation and other Lehigh Valley bastions of feel good about yourself liberalism.  How contrived to support someone from that trough,  rather than candidates like O'Connell and Thiel, who have spend decades involved within the Allentown community.

A comment placed on the previous post by the local NAACP  indicates that they thought Hasshan Batts received far too much attention, and that Cheryl Johnson Watts received too little.  There are apparently various subgroups in both the local Hispanic and black politically active populations. Although my perspective as an outsider is somewhat limited,  I appreciate that their influence is growing year by year.

ADDENDUM: Cynthia Mota is employed by Promise Neighborhoods Of Lehigh Valley.  On Thursday she was in essence voting for her boss, Hasshan Batts.  SHE SHOULD HAVE DISCLOSED THIS CONFLICT OF INTEREST TO THE CITIZENS OF ALLENTOWN.