This post is meant as an open letter to Ray O'Connell. In 2005, Allentown combined the park and recreation departments. This merger in itself wasn't a bad idea, but the implementation was flawed. The first combined director was hired by Francis Dougherty, as were the next two. Each of these hires had the same background, a graduate degree in recreation. The first hire came from Lewisburg, and he eventually purchased every item manufactured by a Lewisburg company, Playworld. Before he left for another position, he planned an enormous water park for Cedar Beach, stretching up to Hamilton Blvd. Parking for this monstrosity would have taken up the remainder of the park. Not having a background in parks, he turned to the eager Wildlands Conservancy for advice and cooperation. By the time his replacement arrived, the Wildlands was so entrenched that they dictated that Allentown remove its small ornamental dam at Robin Hood, and totally obscure the stream banks with Weed Walls. The recent former director assumed the same protocols of her predecessors.
As someone who is familiar with the current park department, I know that the next director need not have the same background. On the contrary, he/she shouldn't. There are managers in place for all the existing recreational components. The new director should be a competent administrator, who cares about providing Allentown's children with recreation, but also has an appreciation of the beauty and serenity that the parks can provide all citizens of Allentown, irregardless of their activity level.
The four remaining swimming pools should be kept in operating condition, and fully staffed. The parcels purchased by Pawlowski, if not offered for sale, should not be developed until which time the park department catches up with deferred maintenance. Frankly, that will take at least a decade.
Allentown had an iconic designation park system which adorned picture post cards for decades. It is time to put away the Playworld plastic catalog and restore the gems in our park system.
a picture post card from Allentown park system's past
and include a true refurbishing of the s 10th and 11th street stairs as it is sorely needed by parks people not The Mission people cleaning them as that leaves us for a liability. I took ray there and have approached council countless times these past two months and his honor feels we can not afford to do the above, but evidently can afford a fire and or possible law suits . If even a 5 year old sees what needs to be done and says POP they need to fix these now CALL someone you know who to call, and I did, why doesn't O'Connell even after addressing the issue two times they are still in disrepair and they are parks property. We Need someone in Parks that listens to the people and gets it done and done right !
ReplyDeleteI agree 1000%
ReplyDeletethe previous three directors were all from out of town. it would be a value added to find someone familiar with the local park assets.
ReplyDeleteI've been working on renovating a house that will go on the real estate market that is located in the neighborhood of 28th and Hamilton Street, just a stones thrown from both the Cedar Crest College campus as well as some of Allentown's iconic park system. When I read LVCI get away with tossing terms such as "You people" around, I stop giving a damn about how much the local Democrat Party has destroyed the once lovely parks. Now, when I see all these privileged West Enders in that neighborhood, all I can think is that I hope they get the snot taxed out of them someday because I sincerely think some comments are entirely inappropriate and that sometimes I think somebody should have to pay a price.
ReplyDeleteSo, how do "You people in the West End" like me now?
Sincerely,
ROLF OELER
rolf @9:02, i will use your comment to once again outline my comment preferences for this blog. I deleted your previous reprimand about "You people" because I discourage "back and forth" between commenters. the comment box on this blog is only intended for the reader to express his/her opinion on the topic of the post.
ReplyDeleteMichael I hope you'll let me defend myself from this attack.
ReplyDeleteMy father was a janitor who went broke as a alcoholic and abuser. I grew up on S. Mtn. till around 11 years old It was then we moved 1038 Maple Street till I was 16 when we moved to 33 S. 10th Street. I worked various jobs. One was 2 years in a very large apartment complex maintenance job where I'd fix toilets and cleaned up sewer overflows and all kind of other stuff you can only imagine. Spent the last 33 years working my ass off as a laborer in production. I hardly think of my self as "privileged:. It took a lot of hard work to get me and my family here in a house worth less then $150,000.
See that's the problem with many. They assume someone who works hard like myself and does somewhat well should be ashamed for not living in an Allentown alleyway for the rest of their life like I once had to.
Sorry Michael but this is the reason I seldom comment on your blog. I made one statement in your last 10 or 20 posts and this is how things almost always end up for me. I'm sick of having to defend myself every time I open my mouth on this blog.