When I was a boy my mother would contribute to Father Flanagan's Boy's Town. It was an orphanage made famous by a movie staring Spencer Tracy as Flanagan. Years later it was discovered that Boy's Town had literally hoarded away rooms of cash. So has it always been with sacred cows, they're not what they always appear to be. However, they do provide an easy opportunity for people (and newspapers) to feel good about themselves. Here in Lehigh Valley we have such a sacred cow, The Wildlands Conservancy. This week they have been featured by both an article and editorial in the Morning Call.
They are headed by Chris Kocher, another Father Flanagan. Father Kocher wrote in 2015 that whatever South Whitehall decided to do with Wehr's Dam, that the Conservancy would respect the decision. In reality they have been conspiring behind the scenes, before and since, to have the dam demolished.
Pennsylvania brags that this state has demolished more dams than any other in the country. Years ago a high ranking state official lost a family member by drowning at a dam. He went on a Moby Dick like rampage against dams. Locally, the Wildland Conservancy adopted the cause, and has profited from it. They get to keep an administrative fee (15%) of the demolition costs. In Allentown they demolished the 9inch high dam by the Robin Hood Bridge, and the dam built to feed the fish hatchery.
While the Wildlands has been successful in influencing Allentown Park policy, their greatest success has been in South Whitehall. In 2014 they installed a son of their financial director as head of parks in the township. They then formulated a master plan for the park system in which the dam is removed. A cooperating long term commissioner, Tori Morgan, has aided their domination of the township. Morgan is now again president of the commissioners, and the park director, Randy Cope, is now in charge of the entire Public Works Department, The Wildlands was recently commissioned to oversee a $multi-million dollar project, building a greenway near the jeopardized dam.
Although the residents approved a grassroots referendum in 2016 to preserve the dam, the Wildlands has conspired against the picturesque destination with studies sent to Harrisburg. They claim that the dam isn't the low hazard, concrete fortress that it appears to be. Meanwhile, also in conflict with the voter's intent, the township has not been defending the dam. Randy Cope remains elusive about the dam's fate.
I have met with nothing but resistance from the Morning Call in notifying the public about this conspiracy. Although I provided a copy of a letter proving ex parte communications between the Wildlands and the State, the paper refuses to publish my letter.
This week the paper published a feel good article about the Wildlands and Earthday. While they show children playing in the Little Lehigh, they fail to reveal that such events are paid for by Nestle Bottling, which sucks the Little Lehigh almost dry.
Sacred Cows and complacent newspapers go hand in hand in deluding the public.
photo by K Mary Hess
Hi you give me alot to think about. Can you give me some history on the dam? As I did not grow up here. Thank you.
ReplyDeletethe dam was overbuilt in around 1911 to power a now demolished gristmill. It was the first concrete dam in the valley, and is a massive concrete wedge sitting on a massive concrete platform. it is the only place where you can see water flowing over a dam, and under a covered bridge, in one spot. it has been a destination for many generations, and should be on the township's historic register
ReplyDeleteThe other day you defended Paul Muschick when I criticized him for being just like every other Call columnist.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever contacted him about doing an article or two about the dam?
You would think that a story about sacred cows and politicians ignoring a vote of the people would be of interest to the former "Watchdog".
The conspiracy is that the Wildlands, in cooperation with Cope and Morgan in the township, have endeavored to inflate the cost of repairing the dam, in excess of the amount approved by the referendum. This transparent end run to disenfranchise the will of the voters is being ignored by the Morning Call editor/publisher, even with proof provided.
ReplyDeleteWell those idiots took out the bridge dam at Jordan park which makes it difficult for people to reserve the picnic pravvilion on the other side of the river ! And also demolished a piece of history ! Since the bridge was built by the WPA work program !! Making it part of American history !! Hope their happy wiping out that part of history !
ReplyDeleteHal J., It was my understanding that particular dam had a pipe going through it, which could catch a child. I believe that It was responsible for a drowning, and some near misses. For that reason I was not opposed to its removal. the other dams removed should have stayed.
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ReplyDeleteAs far as Wehr's Dam and the Wildlands pursuit for state funding for removing dams, it's the taxpayers that are once again up the creek.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the state's reason for wanting a dam like this removed? Is it safety? Is it to avoid disaster if the dam breaks? Or is it something else?
Maybe I'm just missing it, but even if Wehr's Dam failed I doubt anyone would notice. It holds back very little water, and is located at the upstream part of a large public park. If it broke completely I'm not sure it would cause the creek to overflow its banks beyond the park's borders.
So why should state taxpayers be paying anybody to remove this dam? Is it that the someone at the state is asleep in their oversight, or just politicians and bureaucrats trying to grease local environmental groups?
Or is the state somehow tapping into federal funding for dam removal, and "profiting" off of it by adding their own overhead to it the same way that the Wildlands is doing?
Whether it's a lack of oversight or graft, it's wrong. Unfortunately, it's also ultimately the taxpayers (us) that are paying for it.